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tinyshe · 3 years

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Story at-a-glance

Behind the scenes of many of the companies that provide the products and services you use each day are two investment firms that own more shares than other shareholders. The list includes social media, transportation, news media, food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies

Blackrock and Vanguard hold large interests in pivotal companies, and Vanguard holds a large share of Blackrock. In turn, Blackrock has been called the "Fourth Branch of Government" by Bloomberg as they are the only private firm that has financial agreements to lend money to the central banking system

Blackrock also developed the software used by the Fed to manage financial transactions; one Princeton University lecturer has said Blackrock controls the Federal Reserve and has more power than most governments

Ascertaining who owns large portions of Vanguard is more difficult as it is a private company that is not publicly traded. It's important to think globally but act locally to protect your civil rights, including supporting state legislators who support your right to choose health care

Until recently, it has appeared that economic competition has been driving the rise and fall of small and large companies across the U.S. Supposedly, PepsiCo is Coca Cola's competitor, Apple and android are vying for your loyalty and Pfizer and Bayer are battling for your pharmaceutical dollars. But what is revealed in this video, using publicly available data you can check, is that this has been an illusion.

On the surface, all appears to be the same as it always has been. But the growth of a few corporations, beginning in the mid-1970s, has all but destroyed the competitive market on which America's strength has rested. As demonstrated in the video, a quick look through Yahoo! Finance shows that Vanguard and Blackrock have been the puppet masters behind nearly every large industry that affects your life.

As you can quickly discern, the global economy may be the greatest illusionary trick ever pulled over the eyes of people around the world. Without doubt, we are in a new place and facing new challenges. It will take accurate information and local action to continue to have the right to take control of your health.

Behind the Scenes, Two Companies Own the Supply Chain

As you watch the video, you'll see that most of the large corporations that supply the food, information, data and drugs used every day are controlled by a select few investment firms whose sole goal is a greater return on their profits. Of course, that's been the backbone of a competitive economy — to grow your profit margin while competing against other companies for the same market.

In theory, this competition drives innovation, advancement and price structures that benefit the consumer. However, when one, two or three large companies own most of what you use, competition becomes an illusion, resulting in a monopoly where companies can set a price and there are no other products from which to choose.

As the World Economic Forum1 and United Nations2 collaborate to "build back better," it is crucial to pay attention to how large corporations across the world may contribute to a societal shift that moves more money into the hands of billionaires and creates a new depth of poverty across the world.

One of the mandates for the Federal Trade Commission is to ensure there is competition in the marketplace. For example, in 2000, a federal judge ruled that Microsoft had maintained a monopoly with Windows and tied the company browser, Internet Explorer, to the operating system, thus gaining a greater economic foothold.3

The company barely escaped being split up, until it agreed with a settlement to curb its practices. More than 20 years later, the Department of Justice is now looking at antitrust allegations against Google's business dealings that have hurt smaller competitors.4 But the two major investors in both these companies appear to have escaped unscathed.

As you go through the list of companies in which Vanguard and Blackrock strategically hold a large investment interest, consider how the products and services provided by these companies are inextricably intertwined with your daily life.

Google

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Amazon

Alibaba

Pfizer

Bayer Pharmaceuticals

AstraZeneca

PepsiCo

Coca Cola

Microsoft

Apple

Netflix

Reuters

Viacom (CBS)

ATT

Tesla

The New York Times

Agricultural Bank of China

FedEx

American Airlines

United Airlines

TUI AG

Zimmer Biomet Holdings

Volkswagen AG

Ford Motor Company

You may recognize many of these names and some may not be as recognizable. You can do your own search on Yahoo! Finance,5 typing in the company and clicking "holdings" in the navigation bar. The companies span a variety of aspects of daily life, including:

Social media

Shopping

Food manufacturers

Technology and software

Pharmaceutical companies

Entertainment

Communications

Airlines

Medical equipment

Transportation

Holiday companies

Car companies

World media

However, as comments on my Twitter feed indicate, it is not always apparent why this information is important to your rights as an individual.6 It may be difficult to imagine a world where your news is being manipulated. As is illuminated in the video, Vanguard and Blackrock:7

"... own the news that's been created, they own the distribution of the news that's been created, they own the lives of the reporters that are reporting the news that's being distributed that's being created on your TV screen. CBS, FOX, ABC, it doesn't matter which you're watching.

They all are using that wonderful phrase from Davos now — build back better. The point being is that you've got very few people controlling everything and that's information. Talk about information is power, well not only do they create the information, but they have all the distribution nodes to literally change the world mindset as it were."

Every Media Chain Using the Same Narrative

Davos is a ski town in the Swiss Alps but has become the shorthand for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting that's held in the town.8 It is a chance for some of the most powerful figures in the world to collaborate. The meeting has been headed and organized by Klaus Schwab, an 83-year-old German engineer and economist. As you consider what you're hearing in the news, remember:9

"Everything we see on the shelves in the shops, what you buy online, who delivers it, who is making the COVID jab, who is distributing the jab, who is reporting on the jab, who is censoring alternative information about the jab, and all the rest of it. It's all the same people."

The consistency of news reporting across mainstream media should now make sense since each of them have similar major investors and those major investors have a singular focus of raising their profit margin while pushing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How can you believe what's being told in the news when every news channel is saying the same thing?

It may have been that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Nixon Watergate story in 1972, were the last investigative journalists working for a major news media company who were allowed to follow a news story to conclusion without blatant censorship.

Around the world, doctors are being silenced. At the beginning of the pandemic, medical professionals were told not to speak to the media about a lack of personal protective equipment within the hospital. Although the American Medical Association10 initially came out in support of a physician's right to speak out about the care conditions, the tables have since turned.

In the quick, six-minute video below, Dr. Dan Stock from McCordsville, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, speaks to the board of the Mount Vernon Community School Corporation. He provides the board with documentation to back up his claim that the way in which the community was addressing an attempt to stop the spread of infection was, in fact, ineffective.

The video went viral11 with several million views within a day of its posting on YouTube, before it was taken down for “violating YouTube’s community guidelines.” August 11, 2011, Tucker Carlson featured the video and Stock on his Fox show,12 where Stock said, “It seems to me that focusing on immune system improvement whether through a vaccine or non-vaccine methods is the more rational approach to this.”

Yet, even though Stock provides research evidence and speaks knowledgeably about the transmission of viral illnesses, the rest of mainstream media have not picked up on the story and this information is not being communicated to the public. Those in power want to ensure this type of information is not shared because it's contrary to the narrative they are promoting.

House for Sale? Blackrock Is Interested

A recent expose in The Wall Street Journal warns, "… yield-chasing investors are snapping up single-family houses to rent out or flip. They are competing for houses with ordinary Americans, who are armed with the cheapest mortgage financing ever, and driving up home prices."13

Yet, why would institutional investors be interested in overpaying for single family homes? To gain a greater understanding of the answer, you must take a look at Blackrock's partners, which include the World Economic Forum. The company manages assets that are worth $5.7 trillion and appears to be focused on pushing the average American out of the housing market.

If most of the available housing is owned by investment groups and corporations, they become your landlord. This is one of the ways in which the World Economic Forum envisions society in 2030. It's the part where you will "own nothing and be happy."

While it sounds like it came straight from George Orwell's book, "1984," it is in fact the agenda published on the World Economic Forum website.14 In fact, Forbes15 published an article in 2016 titled "Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better," which was written by the World Economic Forum.

Interestingly, the World Economic Forum once had a link to the article on their website under "agenda," but that link is now dead,16 even though a WEF Twitter post17 touting it in 2017 is still up. The link on the Twitter post, however, is also dead. And, curiously, in February 2021, Reuters did a "fact check" which claims the WEF never had anything to do with it.

The Fourth Branch of Government

BlackRock not only is an investment firm, but also has been called the "Fourth Branch of Government" because they are the only private firm with an intimate relationship with the Federal Reserve and financial agreements to lend money to the central banking systems. Interestingly, software developed by BlackRock — Aladdin — is used by the Fed to manage their financial transactions.18

In comparison to other large financial investment firms who have political ties to one party or the other, Blackrock "possesses a power that's more technocratic."19 The firm has a global influence as well. They were tapped as an adviser to the Bank of Canada and the European Union hired them to advise them on incorporating governing and social practices.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg,20 the company may be paid as much as $48 million a year in fees, which could cement the company's ties with powerful policymakers.

To put this into perspective, BlackRock, an investment firm, has more power than most governments and controls the Federal Reserve, Wall Street mega-banks like Goldman Sachs and the WEF's Great Reset, according to F. William Engdahl, a strategic risk consultant and lecturer who holds a degree in politics from Princeton University.21 They don't just want your house, they want your life.

But Who Owns Vanguard?

When you take a look at who owns the largest portion of BlackRock, you learn its Vanguard.22 But ascertaining who has the greatest investment in Vanguard is a little more difficult. The company has a corporate structure that makes ownership challenging to discern.

It appears it's owned by a variety of funds, which in turn are owned by shareholders. Aside from these shareholders, the company has no outside investors and is not publicly traded. As reported in the featured video:23

"The elite who own Vanguard apparently do not like being in the spotlight, but of course they cannot hide from who is willing to dig. Reports from Oxfam and Bloomberg say that 1% of the world, together owns more money than the other 99%. Even worse, Oxfam says that 82% of all earned money in 2017 went to this 1%.

In other words, these two investment companies, Vanguard and BlackRock, hold a monopoly in all industries in the world and they, in turn, are owned by the richest families in the world, some of whom are royalty and who have been very rich since before the Industrial Revolution."

Although getting to the bottom of the major investors in Vanguard is difficult, it's important to keep in mind that BlackRock and Vanguard, individually and combined, own enough shares in Big Pharma and mainstream media to have control over what is produced, shared and distributed.

This information is important because it is the drug companies and media that are driving the response to this infection. Thus far, it has all endangered rather than optimized public health and the official narrative continues to be false, leading the public further astray and fostering fear based on lies.

To have a chance of righting this situation, we must understand the central players and why these false narratives are being created in the first place. In the Global Justice Now December 2020 report entitled "The Horrible History of Big Pharma,"24 they review the shameful history of the top seven drug companies in the world.

These companies are now developing and manufacturing drugs and gene-based "vaccines" against COVID-19, while mainstream media have helped suppress information about readily available older drugs that have been shown to have a high degree of efficacy against the infection.

Think Globally and Act Locally

Just as the market collectively impacted the downfall of the Grocery Manufacturers Association,25 you have an impact in your local community. It may be overwhelming to consider how quickly the world is changing, but you can have a voice in your local community.

As you may know, after my articles have been published for 48 hours, they are no longer available to read. This means, to reference the information you need to protect your health, you must copy and paste the articles and keep them on your hard drive. I encourage you to share these with your friends and family and encourage them to share as well.

It may be inconceivable to think about making a difference on a national scale to protect your civil rights, but there are approaches you can take on a local level that will make a big difference as people across the world speak up.

Many large communities and states are forming groups to stand up for individual rights, to prevent vaccine passports and limit governmental power in a peaceful manner.26 It's also important to find a group with which to work and to support your state legislators who support your right as an individual to choose your health care.

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snkpolls · 4 years

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SnK Chapter 133 Results

The chapter poll closed with 1456 responses. This month’s poll results brought to you by /u/berthototototo ,u/staraves, u/_Puppet_, @shifter-lines and @momtaku

RATE THE CHAPTER 1,365 responses

Nearly 80% of the fandom rated chapter 133 as good or great. In comparison with most SnK chapters, that’s on the low side. Since this was yet another set up chapter it’s possible that the fandom is waiting to see what payoff there will be before they throw their full support behind the developments introduced this month.

lmao good chapter but wtf

It's the best paced chapter since the rumbling began.

All I can say is I can't wait for the next chapter.

Great start to the end

There were a lot of contrived moments here on the first read but I'm hopeful things will play out in an unexpected way.

One of the better recent chapters, felt well paced and most of the dialogue and events seemed logical and fitting. Nice to see one more location added to the AOT world before the end.

I’ve been doing polls for almost 30 chapters now, this is the first where I have no chapter rating, I need to see how all this plays out before I decide if I love it or hate it.

All of this self-reflection is annoying. Though that feeling is just more because of the fact that waiting a whole month for another ‘these hands have killed’ chapter is not exciting when we are so close do the end and I just want to see the ending already.

Average as fuck, the intention is good but the execution is not it, and the dialogues feel very forced and repetitive.

Not good at connecting the narrative plot points 'cause there's...hundreds of them at this point but I'm here for the character interactions and to see just what the hell that "See you, Eren" from the beginning actually meant

Good but I worry about the pacing, some of this should have came earlier, will wait to see what comes from it.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT 1,379 responses

Looks like a lot of people were glad to see that this conflict will not be resolved with a little heart-to-heart (34.9%). People also loved seeing child Eren being spooky with his new pal Ymir (18.8%). 11% liked seeing Eren’s friends reach out to him – or at least try. 9.4% liked Levi, because Levi. Connie, Jean, and Reiner sharing a moment of understanding warmed 8.6% of your hearts. 5.6% were happy to see Falco and Gabi brainstorming, and seeing Mr. Leonhart being a badass was the favorite moment for 3.6%.

I don’t know how it didn’t come up in this survey that Levi called Armin COMMANDER. That was my favorite moment by far. I also enjoyed the confirmation of Levi still caring about Eren. He always uses Zeke as a scapegoat. I somewhat feel bad for monke.

Isayama yeeting the Talk no Jutsu trope was my favorite moment!

I CAN"T BELIEVE THAT FLYING TITAN IS CANON LIKE HOLY SHIT

It was tough for me to decide a favorite moment from this chapter because every scene in this one was awesome. That's how fantastic of a chapter it was! I guess the only issue for me is the possibility of the Flying Titan actually becoming a reality when it felt too good to be true, but looking back, I think there was some foreshadowing to this becoming a reality.

God bless Isayama for the flying titan reveal

Favourite part was child Eren and Ymir standing in the paths.

Kiyomi being willing to die and sink with the ship actually hit me harder than I expected

Levi being the smollest husband is my favorite.

The gang forgiving RBA makes my heart weep with both melancholy and joy

WHO WAS THIS CHAPTER’S MVP 1,363 responses

Kiyomi and Eren are similar shades of green in this chart but I assure you it was Eren’s ranting about freedom (39.8%) and not Kiyomi’s talk of sacrifice and atonement (1%) that granted Eren this month’s MVP. Armin (18.9%), Mr. Leonhardt (9.5%), Falco (6.2%) and Levi (5.7%) are the other visible pieces of the pie.

#TEAMEREN

ANNIE IS THE BEST GIRL!

EREN IS A GENEROUS GOD

Falco is a good boy

Proud of armin for not backing out from commander role🤩

I love every time Eren shows up nowadays, other characters are getting a little worrying tho, Its starting to seem like alot of them have outlived their usefulness to the story and are just repeating stuff until their deaths.

Reiner handsome. That is all.

eren is just a cool badass

WILL ONYANKOPON ACTUALLY MANAGE TO GET THE PLANE TO EREN WITHOUT ISSUE, OR WILL THE HALF-CAPACITY FUEL TANK BECOME A RELEVANT POINT? 1,363 responses

Because Isayama has made clear that details as small as which direction Grisha is looking while leaving the house can’t go unquestioned in this manga, we asked about the fuel tank which is at half-capacity thanks to Floch, and whether or not it will present problems for those on board. A strong plurality, at 44.2% of you, think that they’ll run out of fuel, but it won’t be a massive hindrance. In second place, with almost exactly half of the votes as the first answer, 22.2% of you think Onyankopon will use the plan in some sort of suicidal attack, and just under 20% think the fuel tank will be a major roadblock in some other way. Lastly, ~14% of voters said they’ll make it just fine despite the damage. I admire your optimism.

I hope in vain that Onyankopon doesn't die. He won't even get to go to PATHS if he does.

THE TALK WITH EREN FINALLY HAPPENED… SORT OF. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBE YOUR THOUGHTS? 1,371 responses

Multiple select charts aren’t the prettiest but we like to think they do a good job of showcasing what the fandom thinks on a topic. While none of the options this month reached any sort of consensus, they do provide a snapshot of what we want and expect from Eren.

Of the items offered, only “I’m glad Eren was firm and there will likely be no Talk no Jutsu” reached 50%. The other more popular choice were “I’m surprised Eren reached out to them instead of the other way around” (41%), “THAT PATHS STUFF IS STILL SO COOL” (38.8%) and “I’m glad so many were able to talk to him and it wasn’t just EMA” (33%).

The more negative options, ‘Eren was unnecessarily cruel, his friends deserve better”(13.8%), “I’m mad that Eren is letting them fight him. It’s like he wants to lose” (10.6% ) and “I don’t like Eren dismissing the possibility of talking” (8.1%) received only a fraction of support.

it looks like Eren is committed to HIS path, which backs his friends into a really tough corner. I can't say I'm surprised; we've seen it coming since they got to the ocean, we just didn't want to believe it.

Paths do be lit tho

I really wish Eren would stop the rumbling. He had done more than enough.

Eren's speech, didn't feel like him talking. It was way too typical, he used his catchphrases way too many times. This could be done on purpose for an in-story actual reason, but if it wasn't, i'm not a fan of it. The alliance talking about the colossal being able to defeat eren, makes me think armin won't be able to. I think Armin and Reiner still don't understand Eren's intentions, i fully think he does not want to be stopped. Eren is going to try to kill all of them.

I love Eren dialogues. I just loved the chapter and paths scene so much. Quality character development!!

Feel sad about Erens "catch me if you can" - I wish that the alliance will work together with Eren ....

Thank god for no talk no jutsu

he's been allowing them to use their titan powers, even against the Yeagerists who were supposed to defend their country. That means Eren doesn't dise with his friends, but doesn't side with his own supporters. Yeah, Eren's a dick.

WHOSE WORDS TO EREN DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST? 1,366 responses

The attempts at talking to Eren were almost a character rorschach test as each individual brought up what was closest to their hearts in an effort to stop the rumbling. While none of their pleas impacted Eren, we were curious which one the fandom enjoyed most. Levi’s promise of an ass kicking (32.5%) was the favorite, distantly followed by Mikasa’s more impassioned “Let us share your burdens” (24.9%).

Levi beeing sassy again - awsome

Mikasa saying she wants Eren to share his sins with her may be a hint for what's to come. I think she won't be able to let go of Eren and turn against the alliance to protect him.

Levi is hilarious

Honestly, the alliance have been so clueless that even Eren himself had to spare a moment for them, explicitly telling them that talking is never an option with Eren ‘I must always fight’ Yeager.

Look man, I'm an Eremika shipper and all but I really wish Mikasa didn't go on her usual "I'm here for you Eren" spiel in paths. It felt a little forced, and this would've been a good arc to have some more upfront and major changes as to how Mikasa sees Eren, but to get that usual "100% devotion" Mikasa that we've seen all series after we got signs that she's changed how she sees Eren was kind of disappointing.

I knew that the alliance talking to Eren won't work

Everyone is all sad while trying to convince Eren to stop the rumbling, and there's Levi cracking up jokes 😂

EREN PREEMPTIVELY TOLD THE ALLIANCE TO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH HIM AND TO ATTACK HIM WITH THE INTENT OF KILLING HIM. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 1,357 responses

It seems to be another month of Isayama dangling Eren’s motivations in front of us, though this time we got some substance in the form of some surprising words to the alliance. The most popular interpretation is the straightforward one (30.1%), that it’s as Eren says and he is genuine in not wanting to step on his friends’ freedom. Up next is people who support Reiner’s hypothesis of Eren wanting somebody to stop him (21.2%), with decreasingly popular choices being Eren wants to be killed only after the rumbling is complete (15.5%), he’s just continuing his daily “freedom” spiel (12.4%), and he’s confident in the alliance’s inability to stop him (11.6%). Many opted for the write in option to share their original theories (5.6%).

Seemed like a cry for help to me.

Im convinced that he wants to be stopped, he just doesn’t realize it yet.

Inconsistent character writing lol

Eren loves his friends, so much that he is unleashing the Rumbling, but he only cares about them on a physical level. He wants them to stay alive, no matter how they are mentally.

Eren is in the darkest part of his mind and wants to die. However, his obession with freedom is strong, so he keeps moving foward and won't allow his friends to just kill him without fight.

He wants the alliance to challenge fate, as he thinks the destruction of the world is inevitable

I believe that Eren does want to win but doesn’t want to live with the guilt, but I just felt this moment was too forced, and honestly a little bit cringe, just didn’t feel like something Eren would say

It wasn't Eren talking

No idea, not even sure it's really Eren talking

There are only a few possibilities that make sense: Reiner is right and he wants them to kill him, Ymir is controlling the PATHS and trying to imitate Eren but doesn't quite understand that his concept of freedom is hypocritical, OR Eren only sees restriction of freedom enforced through PATHS as being truly taking away their freedom, like he thinks it's alright to manipulate, gaslight, beat and imprison his friends using his own voice and hands, but using the Founder is somehow too far.

it’s all a part of his plan even tho the fandom hates it. Just wait for it guys ;)

Eren wants the world to see that the Eldians they hate are saving them from the rumbling

If allaiance kills eren then the world will respect eldians more

Zero Requiem

I don't like the Lelouch scenario, it is contrary to what Eren's character really is. I believe there is more to this because why say it now, when he could have said it before ? There has been many holes with what he's doing.

Lelouch ending

LELOUCH LELOUCH LELOUCH

It means he values freedom over safety... which makes him look like a hypocrite because a lot of times he had no problem taking their freedom from them lol

hes hypcritical asf, getting to decide who can be free or not when he that literally was bothered by that himself. I think it was very selfish

Eren has become crazy had this point and his reasoning doesn't make sense, he's trying to dodge reality

Eren is just trying to define, create, and justify his own version of “freedom” because he can’t let go of his childish way of looking at the world. Letting his friends have their “freedom” almost feels like a cheap necessity he had to toss into his homemade definition of freedom.

Eren is a fucking narcissist, a hypocrite.

Eren is dumb

Eren is just doing what he has to do.

Eren's cool as fuck

He's literally giving them the choice to do what they want. The freedom of will. It's up to them to decide if they want to stop him by force or not. At the end of the day, Eren is already firmly set on doing what's necessary for Paradis.

If they want to die trying to stop the rumbling, they are free to do so. But, he wants them to know that negotiating is useless

Reiner is wrong, Eren doesn't want to be stopped because the Cringevengers are trying to take away his freedom to destroy his enemies

EREN IS DEPICTED AS A CHILD, AND WITH THE SAME SHADED EYES AS YMIR ONCE DID. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATIONS DO YOU BELIEVE? 1,339 responses

Child Eren appears again in this chapter, but now resembling Ymir even more. About half of the fandom thinks that the shaded out eyes is a sign of loss of free will. The other popular option, at 42.1% is that they’re depicted at the age they first got their titan powers. The idea that their eyes symbolize ignorance and that their child form symbolizes immaturity each got about 16%, and 10.5% of fans think Yams drew it this way just to look cool.

Alliance POV. They cannot understand Eren/Ymir, therefore their eyes (=windows to the soul) are obscured. Note that Ymir's eyes gradually got clearer from Eren's POV as he humanized her.

Carla died when Eren was still a child. He never healed from this traumatic experience, his child-self is still strongly suffering, that why he appeared as a child. I believe that the child next to Ymir is the darkest part of Eren's soul.

child self image is reflective of eren entering a state of naivety so as to bear the pain and gravity of the rumbling which he has caused

I think it symbolizes a kinda immature concept of freedom

"Slaves don't need two eye balls". Eren is a slave to freedom.

shaded eyes represent being blinded by their desire for freedom & child-like state represents their innocence even if deemed to be something more

The are the ages of their greatest trauma

Adult Eren couldn't live with the guilt so he's letting child Eren carry the weight.

Both of them are doing everything for the sake of others, at the moment they aren't even thinking about themselves. EREN wants the people he loves and cares about to live a happy life and for that he is ready to sacrifice himself.

Bert had shaded eyes when talking to Armin too. I think it means the character is going to do questionable actions but in a mysterious manner. If that makes sense…

Bertold had the same shaded eyes when he was acting as the villain in rts. Same for Eren/Ymir here. Like Bertold, he is willing to kill his friends

Eren could have split his psyche similar to Reiner did with Marco. He is so distraught from his actions that he is using his child self's willpower to continue moving forward.

What about that parasite thing that attached to Ymir in the tree? What if that's the big bad of the series, and has taken over Eren?

The eyes are closed because they are tapped into the Yggdrasil network and are looking at what is happening in the real world through an inner eye.

YMIR APPEARS TO BE ALIGNED WITH EREN. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS? 1,329 responses

Ymir and Eren standing side by side was quite the sight to behold, but what does it mean? The large majority at 55.9% believe it indicates that they’re on the same side wanting the rumbling. 19.2% believe Eren to be a pawn to her now, 15.6% think it’s the other way around, and 9.3% think she’s on his side but is having doubts about her allegiance.

Corrupted by the Eren’s idea of freedom (Ymir’s freedom was taken from her); Child Eren is a prisoner of Adult Eren’s future actions.

Eren is taking Ymir's place as the lord of the Paths. Like Ymir, after he dies, he will live on in the Paths.

I low key think Eren is kinda being controlled by Ymir/ conflicting with her

Eren is now like Ymir, enslaved in Paths to something bigger

Ymir started controlling Eren when he was a child

Ymir and Eren are tied together now. One is definitely being influenced by the inner emotions of the other (possibly Ymir's years of resentment for her life since we saw Eren "sleeping" at the end of one of the previous chapters with the birds)

Eren as a child symbolises regression, immaturity and narrow-mindedness. Eren refuses to be an adult (aka making compromises, listening to others…) and enslaves himself to the simplistic ideology he had as a child. Ymir was a literal slave who never managed to emancipate herself despite her power. I think the parallel between the two is to make Eren's state of mind more explicit than it already was in 131.

EY is cute and canon

EREN SAYS ALL THAT’S LEFT IS TO FIGHT. WHO IN THE APPROACHING BATTLE WOULD HE BE WILLING TO KILL? 1,333 responses

Eren’s willingness to kill his own friends has been a topic of debate ever since the two sides separated, and this chapter pushed that question further. People seem to think Eren would hesitate the most with Mikasa and Armin, and hesitate the least with Pieck and Reiner, with the others falling into various middle positions, as the chart shows. The requisite to avoid Eren’s hit list seems to unsurprisingly be a pre-existing bond with him, with some leeway being given to children. Except for Gabi, it seems, but we all know how Eren fondly refers to her as “that brat”.

Eren has accepted that he will kill his friends, and wants to get it over with

Eren explicitly said "If someone tries to take my freedom, I won't hesitate to take theirs". That was in private to Zeke, so I don't doubt for a minute he will kill anyone in the Cringevengers he needs to in order to achieve it.

He is willing to kill them and I can't wait when some of the 104th will die already

Eren kill Armin already please

If Falco dies, I cries.

IF NEITHER SIDE STEPS DOWN, EREN SAYS THEY’LL COLLIDE. WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE BATTLE? 1,349 responses

The time to make your bets is here! As the long-awaited battle between the alliance and Eren approaches, the audience is almost evenly divided on what they think the outcome will be. If this poll counts for anything, the alliance are projected as the victors (50.6%), narrowly edging out (by only 15 votes) the believers in Eren as the winner (49.4%). Whether you attribute the neck-and-neck result to the unpredictability of the setup, or simply too many clearly incorrect people from the opposing side to yours, is up to you.

The alliance will win GG WP

The alliance have 1 skilled warrior , 2 skilled former SC soldiers , 5 Titan shifters and 2 Ackermans but I still thinking that they can't defeat Eren or Ymir .

th Eldian empire will win in the end and the outside world will get what it deserves...I hope

Eren naturally shouldn’t be able to be stopped. He’s way too powerful.

I appreciate the fact that Commander Armin definitely has no tangible plan and it was the SC part manifesting their death throes for a peaceful end. Still I can't help but cringe and not feel anything at their attempt.

don’t think it’s a win/lose situation between eren and alliance, both with win and lose in some way and there will be some 3rd option

I can't wait to see the alliance-Eren fight. I just can't wait

Isayama's writing with his asshole. Whoever side gets to win, we lose.

LEVI RETURNED FROM PATHS WITH MORE FINGERS THAN HE STARTED WITH. IS THIS A MISTAKE? 1,342 responses

We’ve seen Isayama make mistakes that the fandom took too far before, is this the case again? In an incredibly close vote, 51.5% think it is just a mistake, while the other half at 48.5% are convinced Isayama slipped in this plot development.

I've been saying this for years but Levi getting his fingers back from the Paths was definitely intentional and I'm sure the relationship between Ackermans and the Paths are going to be a major plot point. And after 132 I'm wondering if the 'afterlife' aspect will prove important too.

Is it just me or has Annie been going through a growth spurt lately? Either that or Isayama's artwork is getting sloppy. Not to even mention Levi's fingers…

This was quite a chapter. So many things that could happen especially with the flying titan. And then levi possibly having his fingers back. Then learning annie’s titan power. I heard aot will have a bad ending but i hope the the alliance will win.

Levi is being healed by the coordenate. Ackerman's blood is "half titan" so he must have recovered because of that just like titans do.

WHICH COMMANDER HAD A BETTER TITAN DRAWING? 1,352 responses

Can Armin live up to Erwin? While he’s asking himself that, the fandom has decided that in the drawing department he has not. Erwin’s (in?)famous turkey titan drawing ate up 61.2% of the votes compared to Armin’s drawing from this chapter at 38.8%.

none of this would have happened if my goat erwin was still alive

IF EREN IS INDEED STOPPED BY SOMEONE, WHETHER IT BE KILLING HIM OR INHERITING HIS TITANS, WHO MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR THIS ROLE? 1,349 responses

The bets are on Mikasa being the one to stop Eren and/or inherit his burdens at 30.2%. Her words to Eren this chapter could definitely be foreboding in hindsight. Armin, leader of the uphill battle against Eren, is the runner-up at 26.5%. 18.6% think the answer is no one – presumably because Eren will either wipe ‘em all out, or be the one to decide his own fate. 13.5% think Reiner will be the one, he is the same as Eren after all. But everyone is the same nowadays, so who knows?

We then have Gabi (4.3%), Falco (2%), and Zeke, Jean, and Levi tied (1.5%). Annie follows with a tiny fraction (0.4%), and Pieck, the ultimate underdog, has the fewest votes at 2, or 0.1%.

...Hang on, aren’t we missing someone? Yes – even below Pieck, there is the underdog of underdogs: literally nobody thinks Connie will be the one to end it all. Will he ever be considered a real main character? :’(

I'm leaning towards Mikasa.

It feels like there was a lot of foreshadowing for Reiner to go head-to-head with Eren one final time.

Can't wait for Gabi to eat Eren.

WILL LEVI KILL ZEKE? 1,322 responses

It’s been over 4 years both in and out of world since Levi vowed to kill Zeke. Will he end up doing it after all this time? The majority of fans think he will, at 54.8%. 18.5% think he’ll die before completing his goal, and 14.2% think he’ll reassess the situation and his goal of killing Zeke.

Both will die fighting each other

He may kill him and realise it was pointless, both as revenge and to stop the rumbling. Or possibly he'll be prevented from using violence as a solution this time. No forgiveness though.

He will defeat him but die just after killing him

He will fulfill his promise to Erwin but he'll die soon after

I do think he will but I don't think it's about Erwin's promise anymore

He will prioritize stopping Eren over killing Zeke

Please don't kill monke. Let him redeem himself first. Monke to save the world!

He won't necessarily forgive Zeke, but he will take pity on his sad state of affairs, but more importantly realise stopping the rumbling is more important than his petty revenge.

I predict Levi will kill Zeke, but it will be some kind of suicidal attack that will get him killed in the process.

Zeke will die but not by Levi's hand

He'll be forced to team up with him to save the world. But won't forgive him.

Nah, characters never get what they want, plus I don't see a real fight between them, that would be repetitive and too predictable and Zeke is probably too distressed/depressed over what happened in paths. And that would be really boring if Levi killed him tbh.

No, Because Zeke is already dead

I can’t believe the Beast Titan could be any animal they wanted, including a T-Rex, and that boring jackass picked a monkey. As if he wasn’t enough of a loser.

HOW CORRECT ARE ARMIN AND LEVI IN THINKING THE RUMBLING CAN BE STOPPED BY KILLING ZEKE? 1,343 responses

Levi suggests to the alliance that instead of ending Eren’s life to stop the rumbling, they could opt to kill the man previously called the key to the Founder, Zeke. Only 4.2% of people agree that this would help in stopping the rumbling, with the most popular response at 41.8% being it would fail due to Eren having full control of the Founder. The belief that Zeke’s death would have alternatively disastrous consequences is also popular, with 27.8% thinking Ymir’s presence would allow the titans’ advancement to continue, and 26.2% expecting the lack of command over the titans would render them mindless, but still functioning.

killing zeke probably won’t solve anything since the rumbling has already started, it might make a difference since eren isn’t royal but i think it’s just too late, and I really don’t want zeke to get killed

They'll find either that Zeke is already dead and was only needed alive for a moment to begin the rumbling, or that his continued existence is still necessary for defeating Eren somehow.

Everyone's talking about "stop Eren using Zeke," and here I am remembering "Zeke, stop Eren."

How is killing Zeke going to solve what Eren is doing? The poor guy just wanted to achieve his dream of eliminating all pp’s and instead he has to bear the burden of the destruction of the whole world.

Killing Zeke instead of Eren would be an emotional cop out for the Alliance. I hope that won't become the case, because that would make the ending of this manga super dissatisfying.

WHICH WHOLESOME MOMENT BETWEEN COMRADES DID YOU LIKE THE MOST? 1,334 responses

In such dire times, wholesome moments really are appreciated. 43.5% loves seeing Annie recall her 104th days the most, while 28.3% appreciated Connie accepting comfort from Reiner. The rest of you were split pretty closely between Gabi and Falco being adorbs together and Armin emulating Hange in his interactions with Onyankopon.

Annie's flashbacks of the Warriors I rly liked, Reiner smugly looking at Bertholdt was rly heartwarming...

It is very heart-warming how close the surviving members of the 104th still feel to each other after all said and done, including Eren.

the 104 got some understanding /closure for previous actions, so that's nice

Gabi and falco should have listened to Annie when she told them to take care of the charcoal, instead of ruining the chapter, and spewing some nonsense

WHICH OVERUSED PHRASE FROM THIS CHAPTER ARE YOU MOST TIRED OF? 1,315 responses

Isayama sure is hammering home certain themes and character motivations; is it too much? 29.1% are tired of hearing everyone scream EREH, which is most often attributed to Mikasa, but it branched out this chapter to all his friends. 22.3% got bored of everyone being the same as each other; because when everyone’s the same, no one is. 19.5% are tired of every other word out of Eren’s mouth being freedom, 16.4% want Levi to get an original thought, and 12.7% want Eren to shut up about his other catchphrase and just stay put for one second.

Muh ereh

I LOVE YOU EREN KEEP MOVING FORWARD 4EVER

"The dialogue between Jean, Reiner, and Connie couldn’t have been worse. It felt like a bunch of stock phrases, “we’re the same”, “traitor”, etc.

Can't remember who said this and where but Eren does love his friends, it's just that he only cares about their physical well-being. ""You are free to do as I see fit.""

Ereh: Reiner, I am the same as you. I know that my enemies are the same but I have no choice because Society™

Rainah: No, you are wrong. I had a choice, but I attacked the walls because I was selfish and because I wanted to.

Ereh: Damn bro, same. Time to commit war crimes!

Man, each time I feel like the 104 can't be more annoying... I can't stand their whining about ereh, how they don't wan't to kill him and that ereh is just misguided, let's talk, please come back uwu.

The forced ""We're the same"" bullshit is really getting on my nerves. Reiner broke a wall with the goal of committing a genocide against innocent civilians. Jean and Connie killed a few soldiers with the goal of STOPPING a genocide against innocent civilians. No, these actions are not the same, and I'm sick of Isayama trying to make us think that they are. Now, I can forgive it because it seems like he's just going for a "Jean, Connie and Reiner all murdered former comrades and are racked with guilt because of it" comparison, which I'm fine with, but we're on thin ice here with the moral reductionism.

"We're the same". I'm sorry, are they suggesting the 104th and Warriors are ANYTHING alike? the 104th are victims of circumstance who were forced to make terrible choices. The Warriors willingly slaughtered hundreds of thousands. The Warriors are horrendous monsters beyond redemption, and it's insulting of Connie to say they're the same as those inhuman creatures.

even tho I liked that Connie and Jean acknowledge their similarities with the Warriors, they are still not the same, the Warriors were brainwashed coerced children when they started their crimes, the 104th were adults in high positions when they killed innocents and they enabled Eren to do the Rumbling by ignoring the signs, while RBA almost from the start fought to prevent the Rumbling.

The chapter's named Sinners, Isayama called feeding a person to a titan a sin right as chapter 84 came out, and EAMJC killing Bert still hasn't been addressed under these circumstances? They're saying they are the same as the warriors which isn't true in any capacity and I hope they fall on their ass soon to realise they are not at all the same.

Eren saying freedom all the time has been cringe since the EMA table confrontation.

WHAT WILL FALCO’S FLYING TITAN BE USED FOR? 1,335 responses

The most popular two options, at roughly a third each, are that Falco will come in clutch at the final battle, and that he’ll save them when the plane starts to falter.

Carrying the Eldian evacuees to safety but remember there are also Marleyans there. A titan saving Marleyans, by its own will, will all help for the final peace treaties

Either taking Annie, Gabi, Yelena, and Kiyomi off the boat and picking up the Alliance in case the Flying Boat runs out of fuel at any point, or carrying the Eldians from Liberio to safety in case there are no airships left at Fort Salta to escort them.

What's the point of Annie going off if she's just going to join back a chapter later after more aruani flashbacks?

I DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IN THAT

Eren is baiting him with that "scenery" because he needs to have the 9 titans to end the Ymir's curse

Fly gabi to the founding Titan to snipe eren

I get a feeling that he is the one who may inherit Eren's titans. What would be the point of giving him the titan powers, if he doesn't have any bigger role to play? Falco is somehow opposite to Eren, so if the power of the FT and AT are given to such pure boy like him, the future of the world might become brighter.

I thought the dialogue hinted more at Annie eating Falco's spinal fluid and gaining wings. Also I think it will be funny if Falco's memories are not from the previous Beast Titan but is actually the "Scenery" (it looks suspiciously similar)

Transporting Annie, Gabi and Falco where needed for the plot.

I wonder if Annie mentioning eating birds meant anything, or if it was just another poor attempt at humour by Isayama?

He'll transform thinking he can fly, find out he can't, the ship will sink and that's how Isayama will kill the characters on the ship

He'll fly far away on a different planet and start a new colony. Oh wait there is atmosphere. Whatever paths will lend him some cheat codes :P

THE PLOT POINTS HINTED AT IN THIS CHAPTER HAVE SPARKED SOME BACKLASH. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH ONE?

So many revelations! The most controversial ones are Falco potentially becoming a flying titan, him getting Zeke’s memories, and the Female Titan powers; though more people are ok with each of these than not. Eren letting his friends continue to use titan powers, and the Beast Titan being multiple animals are the most accepted developments.

The idea of a flying titan is forceful and too convenient. I wonder how Isayama will draw it and not make it look like something odd.

The flying titan thing is the dumbest and most forced thing in snk I've seen. It feels like something from a fanfic and just seems so out of place. It's so sudden and forced. There are other things that seem really rushed in this chapter too. Like the bits about Annie's titan etc.

Lol at people calling anything about this “forced”. AoT fans pretend they’re a lot smarter than they actually are.

The stuff about Female titan and flying titans and memories being distributed was maybe a bit too conveniently delivered in the very end of the whole series, but tbh it's still plausible in-universe. I take it as a sign that Isayama knows what he wants and he wants to do the ending justice, not just get it out there as soon as possible with as little work as possible."

I'm glad the Falco can fly because it means the rest of the alliance can join the final battle and him flying was well built up. What I think should have been set up better is this power coming specifically from the Beast Titan. All past users we have seen of it was a monkey and we're just being told it could be other animals now?

some things (like zeke's beast memories, female titan abilities, flying titan, warrior families being alive) were so convenient, but I'm not too mad about it

Someone had thought about the beast titan animal theory before, since there was a giant horse at those old "paintings" that tell the story about eldia in marley's perspective, it is in chapter 87 i think, when grisha's parents are lecturing him.

The falco thing is too forced. The beast titan being any animal isn’t that forced but it should’ve been revealed waaay before, not in the same chapter as this whole falco flying thing.

I fully expected the Liberio Eldians to be alive, but was not expecting them to be en route to Fort Salta.

I don't like how plot convenient it is that the Eldian evacuees from Liberio are heading for Fort Salta just like Eren with his rumbling titans, the Alliance fighters on the flying boat, and now apparently the boat crew as well.

I always thought that suggested all the forms that titan could take. In retrospect it feels obvious -- Yams, you practically telegraphed that by naming the kid Falco in the first place.

What do you mean it's stupid that Galliard cured world hunger by creating bacon with his Titan form? His name is PORCO

since when could the Female Titan copy other powers? Did I just miss that? Because it just comes across as a convenient way to get Falco, Gabi, and Annie to the final battle.

annie will eat a boat and tranform into a boat titan AND KILL EREN WITH HER BOATNESS.

WHICH TRAIN MOMENT DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST? 1,332 responses

After being implied in 125, we get to see the Liberio evacuees on the run. As set up in that chapter, 44.8% were most happy to see Mr. Leonhart continuing to be a boss, while 33.6% were most hyped for another great double spread of the rumbling, as we’ve gotten for the last 4 chapters. Mr. Finger and the Brauns' concern for the children came in after that, followed by Karina and the Grices.

Papa Leonhart is a true badass. It wasn’t said if Bertolt’s mother was still alive, and the lack of Galliard parents/zeke’s grandparents was interesting- how the only warrior/cadet families shown were ones with a child that the readers know is still living.

Go Mr Leonhart we stan

I can’t believe karina is still alive

While having all the warriors' family (expect for the Yeagers) be there is forced and not natural, I'm really hoping that Falco gets to reunite with his parents. He's so precious that he deserves that. If the other parents die then so be it as long as I can have a Grice family reunion.

The approaching rumbling has pretty much lost its impact as a visual image because Isayama has overused it to death.

I liked the new character in the train

This chapter was a beautiful demonstration that ANNIE GOT ALL HER GUTS FROM MR. LEONHART THAT BADASS JUST REFUSED TO DIE AND FORCED THE MARLEYAN SOLDIERS TO GET TO THAT TRAIN WHAT A LEGEND

WILL THE BLIMP BOMBERS BE EFFECTIVE AT ALL? 1,348 responses

The chapter ended on the cliffhanger of the blimp bombers approaching Eren, but will it be worth the wait? The Majority, at about 75% think they will take out a few colossals but nothing to write home about, 19.7% think Eren will wipe them out without a second thought, and 5.6% think they will help deal a decisive blow.

I think The bombs on the plane , The colossal Titan nuke ability and the blimps won't do any kind of damage to Eren .

the blimps Will be destroyed by founding titan eren using his thorn on his spine

I'm itching to see eren finally take some sort of action against marley's bombers :D

I’m wondering if Isayama is going to flip the script a bit and showcase how the advancing technology is gaining the upper hand over titans, and cut Eren off in his tracks abruptly/make him change his tactic. Or, if it’ll just be the catalyst for the alliance to stop him after they witness it has no major affect on the titans.

I'm not sure about the direction of the final battle but everything's colliding at Fort Salta one way or another. I'm curious about this volume's cliffhanger."

DESCRIBE THE CHAPTER IN ONE WORD 855 responses

Continuing with the theme of underwhelming reception, the responses to this were, at least compared to others months’, very low in quantity and disparity between the top words. The 5 most chosen words for this chapter, quantity and average rating included, are:

Setup/Set-up [32 ; 3.91] Amazing [28 ; 4.79] Freedom [25 ; 4.20] Awesome [19 ; 4.84] Paths [19 ; 4.16]

Honorable mentions (because they all had the same or only one less amount of picks) include Ereh, Interesting, Great and Pain.

WHAT CHAPTER DO YOU THINK THE MANGA WILL END AT? 1,337 responses

Since Isayama’s self-appointed deadline of 2020 likely failed to stick, we’ve decided to revive this monthly question. The last time we asked, the majority of respondents chose 138 as the final chapter, which remains the most popular option now, though now losing a majority (39.5%), with 140+ (20.9%) and 139 (21.3%) hot on its tail. Perhaps it has something to do with the shared opinion that this chapter is one of setup, but it’s safe to say most of us are unconvinced this is ending anytime soon.

I think that the manga will end at chapter 138 or 139, and so 133 has to be the last "transition" chapter before the climax (end of volume 33/beginning of the last volume)

I think the story is going to end either at 138 or 139.

it will be over in a few months and both like Eren and Yams, we will finally be free.

I just hope Iseyama doesn’t rush to end this before the end of the year. 138 is the minimum

Idc at this point i just want it to end now it feels like it's stalling

I CANT WAIT FOR CHAPTERS 134+ TO COME OUT

im sad its ending :(

WHAT ARE YOU MOST HOPING TO SEE NEXT CHAPTER? 1,366 responses

Wow this was close!! We have a lot of hopes for next month’s volume closer. Of the options we presented, “The alliance finally taking action against Eren” (23.1%), “ZOOK WHERE ARE YOU” (22.1%) and “I’m always down for more Eren Jaeger” (20.9%) created a tight three way race. Historia’s return to the story was a distant fourth (12%).

I'm really curious about Zeke's whereabouts, I'm sure he will play another big role from now on

I’m just confused about Eren’s motivations and desires at this point.

Love the thought of a flying titan

levi better kill zeke next chapter!!!

Pls bring back historia

I just want to see Historia. Please I miss her lesbian greatness. Please I'm tired.

Next chapter is gonna be crazy

where is monke??

Isayama has something up his sleeves and I’m scared for the next chapter lol

Just let Levi kill Zeke already

Kiyomi backstory when?

One thought, the same as after every chapter, who's gonna bite the dust next ?

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PLATFORMS DO YOU USE TO DISCUSS THE SERIES? 1,274 responses

Reddit (41.3%) and Twitter (40.7%) remain the two most active platforms for fandom discussion, with Twitter stealthily creeping up on Reddit ever since we allowed multiple selections. Discord follows at (21.6%), with those lucky enough to talk about SnK in real life close behind (20.4%). Wherever you discuss the series we appreciate your support of the chapter poll! Even the Snapchatters.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHAPTER? 365 responses

WOW, something something the japanese fans are not happy copypasta

The rumbing started some time ago and our heroes should get hungry in a little bit, will they be able to call pizza? Or something? Because it'd be very sad if they had to die without dinner :(

If Falco's cloud memories end up being child-Eren's view from last chapter, that would be incredible. So many characters will seemingly play an important role now that I have no idea what will happen next.

Reiner keeps thinking that the dialogue is about their guilt and since they are the same, then Eren wants to kill himself. But one of Eren's main statements is that he keeps moving forward despite everything (and he thinks Reiner is the same). I think Reiner's ""Eren wants us to fight him because he wants to die"" will be proven wrong, and he'll come to the correct conclusion in the end.

it's frustrating seeing eren continue the rumbling for the sake of his friends when it's not what his friends want

It's good but it could freak me out

it's honestly making me feel more hopeless...

Connie Reiner conversation was perfect to bring up his late best friend Bertholdt, but I guess they forget again and pretend they never killed him brutally, and he just got thanosed one day lmao

i'm really enjoying annie's development. she's went from one of my least cared about characters to one of my favourites just from her development with armin and reiner alone. really looking forward to how isayama will finish her arc.

Eren is gonna be defeated by the power of friendship and the power of the scarf he gave to boring Mikasa and also by two kids who should honestly be dead by now but somehow are still alive in this mess anyways boring chapter i don’t care what happen anymore I just want to this to end

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a Falco should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The Falco, of course, flies anyway because Yams don't care what nerds think is impossible.

I don't mind the "inconsistencies", because most of what people are complaining about is just nitpicking that doesn't have much of anything to do with the story being told. I just hope that we're done with setup and can finally get to the final battle next chapter.

Everybody in this chapter was admitting their sins, but Bert still wasn't mentioned when so far he's the biggest elephant in the room when it comes to Reiner / AMJC. They watched Armin devour Bert and felt nothing about it, they participated in a terrorist attack against Liberio and threw a party instead/didn't protest against it, but the moment they betrayed their countries and slaughtered their comrades, suddenly they're evil sinners. It really feels iffy as shit.

Eren should finish what he started, I actually support him, I do understand his anger, his past anger, and everything that has been done to the Paradis Island. The only way to stop the exterior world’s way they think about them, is killing them all (or nearly), otherwise it’s never going to stop. It would be too much of a childish way of actually allowing the alliance to stop him knowing that he’s really REALLY powerful.

I don't get why people are having so much backlash about Eren allowing the Alliance to kill him, it's not a goad of "come get me", it would be hypocritical of him to take away their powers to stop him when he preaches about freedom, because then he'd just want PERSONAL freedom when want he truly wants it freedom for everybody especially Eldians.

@ isayama as a yumihisu shipper stop the Ymir smelling Historia's hair gag it isn't funny :/

I just think Eren doesn't detour from his character cause he's persistent on continuing the rumbling, having his own definition of freedom while he also doesn't take away his friends' power to fight him. It's just kinda frustrating that Eren is so blinded by his concept of freedom and chose this path.

People who think Eren will complete the rumbling are in heavy denial.

I kinda hope that we get to see Hizuru at least once. I also believe that Mikasa deserves to know the truth about her Ackerman blood and that it does not make her a slave in any way. More than anything though I just wanna see her character done justice in this final arc so that people will finally quit complaining about her always being "Eren-obsessed." She is without a doubt one of the most misunderstood characters in the entire series.

I liked the Paths stuff. But I'm bored of the cringe 104th, Isayama please give back Bertholdt I wanna see him, Paths is the perfect opportunity T-T

I maintain that Eren allowing his friends to fight him and potentially die because FREEDOM is fucking weird and OOC because he had no problem taking their freedom away in 112. He lied to their faces (same chapter he stated that ignorance=slavery) and locked them in prison. He also couldn't stand losing anyone close to him for most of the manga (serumbowl, hiding info about Historia, etc.), even if it went against Paradis, and so far nothing states that he suddenly and consciously changed his mind on that. If there is no explanation for his sudden change in behavior then parts of his character just went down the drain for the sake of covering up a plothole (that could easily be resolved by just saying that the founder can't control the shifters......)

I read some theories of Hange come back as a Titan Shifter. The parallel of both Ackermans put their fist on Eren and Hange before they died. Eren came back to life again as Attack Titan after that. There are also similarities between Hange and Xavier, both do research on titans, wearing glasses and I wonder if we would find out who is this person that Zeke could trust, as Xavier mentioned. We've seen Hange almost died 3 times, during the battle with Bertholdt and Reiner revelation, the crystal underground with Kenny's team and Bertbomb. Hange managed to come back again and again. Maybe I'm just being hopeful here (crying again) but I respect if Isayama sensei really killed Hange for good. But but but.. T^T

I'm beyond sick of the alliance. If they win at this point Isayama has officially destroyed his own manga.

No Hanji = nothing to smile neither to hope for in this chapter. I hate Eren for not even reacting to her death.

Isayama's doing a terrible job with the Alliance. I have many reasons to want the rumbling to be stopped, but if I forget for one second that Armin's my fave charac., I need to ask WTH?? Characters say one thing while the narrative says another. Yo, every damn chapter they've been feeling guilty and shitty, yet their constant regretting says they're good people. The heroic sacrifices say they're good people. The refusing to bring the kid although the kid can fckin fly says they're good people. This is more complex than calling an oldman with a career built in genocide HERO then calling these lost as fuck teens SINNERS. Repetition won't make me buy it. Btw, I'm not taking proJeCtiNg five chapters from the end. I refuse to believe these characters are at the same. damn. mindspace as 10 chapters ago. Nah. Losing or winning, this finale should feel dignifying, not pathetic. I'm desperate here. :(

I'm tired of Eren and the alliance. My feelings are with Levi's promise, nothing else. What comes after that (if Levi is able to kill Zeke) it would be interesting (and amazing, I'm sure) conceptually, I will love to read it, but my heart is with our midget. He deserves to rest.

Also Levi...I get why he's still ""muh kill monke"", it makes sense with his character... But that doesn't mean it's not annoying.

I REALLY enjoyed this one

Can't believe that flying titan was a sort of joke since the Marley arc, but now it's a thing uh.

More evidence that freckled Ymir may be alive.

where bert

where IS ZEKE

Where Monke?

Ymir distorting the space and keeping Mikasa, Armin, Connie and Jean away from Eren makes me think she's controlling him.

YOU ARE FREE

There was so much information given to us this chapter. The reveal of the possibility of Falco flying and the possible death of Zeke.

There were some alright points to this chapter but for the most point, it seemed like so many things were forced, the most ridiculous points of this chapter for me were the warrior families living, and Falco deciding he can fly simply because he had a dream

This chapter (like all the others and the others to come) made me cry. 😔

This chapter made sense. Too much sense. All the plot points we’d been expecting like Falco being able to fly, Eren bringing the alliance into Paths to tell them they have to kill him if they want to stop the rumbling, and the folks from Liberio surviving, were all present. I think Isayama is about to throw some wild curveballs and ruin our whole careers

Something's wrong with Eren

Thanks Isym for ruining Armin and make him Annie's waifu

Nice, a little boring but also not disappointed

The alliance was so annoying this chapter. Reiner projecting his pathetic suicidal thoughts into Eren was just absolute cringe. Then Jean and Connie actually saying they’re the same as the guys who killed their friends and families just made me damn near bust a vein. Then Pieck was just being a passive aggressive bitch. I was hoping that at least the 104th would make it out alive but now I straight up want Eren to kill them all. They’re just flat out insufferable, incompetent traitors at this point.

Pieck passive aggressively roasting Armin felt good

Levi is sexy take the bandages off his face and let me see the scar

Levi's really fed up. he doesn't care anymore about eren he just wanted to kill zeke. But I do agree that by killing Zeke, maybe the rumbling will end.

People thinking that Eren became a slave are speedreaders

For me, the Rumbling represents Eren’s own death drive. He’s killing others and wants do die in the process or afterwards. And his talk to the alliance is what his "if you don't fight you don't win" ideology boils down to. Blind, narrow-minded kid!Eren doesn't really see any other outcome other than him completing the Rumbling (aka "winning") or getting killed by his friends before he can complete it. I (heavily) suspect Isayama is going for a third option though.

This arc has highlighted Eren's internal contradictions regarding freedom. We have him forcing his friends to fight, imprisoning them, beating them, gaslighting them about their own free will, but most of all forcing the rumbling onto them, which completely takes away their agency to choose their own fate. I would be disappointed if Isayama has dropped this consistent pattern of Eren contradicting his own ideals of freedom, just to rectify his mistake of making Eren too overpowered due to rule of cool (something I initially feared), so I'm hoping the true reason has to do with Ymir taking the reins and speaking for Eren.

Eren can't help what he wants and believes in and he can't stop his convictions to move foreword, but at the same time he recognises his friends own free will and different convictions and has decided that both sides will never be able to give up their own convinces or meet at a middle ground and has decided to just let things play out.

Eren is resigned to his fate to rumble the world, but he will not command his friends to do anything. He is willing to die by their hands.

Eren prizes freedom above all else. If someone uses their freedom to try to kill him, he wouldn't mind

Eren isn't sure if he's right so he wants them to have the chance to stop him if they feel so strongly

Sooo due to the Warhammer nutcracker incident, does that mean Falco has a portion of the Warhammer, or something?

Spectacular chapter completely closing the possibility of dialogue between Eren and Aliance. It's good to see that Eren remains firm with his actions and hasn't changed his psychology of freedom out of the blue. Although many people think that Eren wants to die, I'm sure that he will fight against the Alliance to survive and carry out his plan to destroy humanity.

Still a Beruani shipper...and...OMF ANNIE IS THE 2ND SASHA SHE WANTS TO EAT GIVE MY BABY FOOD

Still feels like buildup ready for the final showdown already

Telling the story as if the alliance stands a chance, or has anything close to a complete picture of Eren, is still dumb

historia pov when

Honestly I think everything about Annie is forced and she never should have come back.

Hope Jean survives 💯

Hope will reveal historia's baby connection to the series

I believe in Isayama

I believe that Annie got the ability to harden by eating part of Reiner, I think by revealing her ability yams intends to lay foundation for Annie getting wings as well and joining falco in the sky fuck ya

I hope Annie's father dies in front of her

I hope any inconsistencies in Eren's character get clarified later.

I hope more is discussed about Historias child

I hope My beloved Eren kills levi and armin

I just can’t wait a pray that MAPPA don’t fail us💀

I don't know man why the fuck does a flying titan exist

AC130 INBOUND, wait, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT BIRD THING AND WHY DOES IT HAVE BOMBS IN ITS HANDS

Isayama is a hack

isayama never misses

isayama the goat, incredible as usual

#snk poll #snk polls #snk poll results #snk 133 #snk chapter 133

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kindest-way-to-say · 3 years

Text

okay so. i’m just gonna rant. about some pain i’ve been experiencing for a while. like, we’re getting into it

if anyone would like to put in their two cents, feel free. im kinda just yelling about my problems into a void, but im definitely not gonna stop people who might know what this is from giving me advice.

idk. my brains shutting down a bit.

TDLR: my left arm has been in constant pain for three days. it’s probably nerves or something. i’m very addled rn. i hate the world i want to sleep for a millennia. i also have had similar, smaller pain issues over a course of 4 months. i hate it here. i would very much like this to not be a thing, please.

so this story starts the mid may. my last month of school. i’m suffering through just to end this bullshit. but i notice that p much every time i have to do some slightly more than normal walking, some random body part of mine will just be in this sort of dull pain.

and i just kinda go. huh. okay. ow. and brush it off. this continues. it’s pretty minor, (like barely a 1/10 on a scale) but enough for me to be mildly annoyed by it on occasion.

go to two weeks before my school lets out for summer.

i get appendicitis and have surgery for it. i’m fine. that situation went better than expected, i was just not the most comfortable.

appendicitis pain traditionally presents in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. right next to a shit ton of nerves. and the pain i’m going through starts to affect my leg. can’t really walk without alarms going on.

it gets better. i’m not like. comfortable, but i’m just taking ibuprofen a few times a day and managing decently. 3.5/10 pain level average.

but then, as i start going out and living life as a teenager in the summer (hanging out with one person semi-regularly, and doing weird family lunches), i start to notice that most times i leave the house, i’ll come back home with some pretty decent pain in assorted parts of my body.

like my back will hurt, which i just blame on my shit posture. but then it’ll be a weird muscle connected to my ankle or some shit when i am very well known for hating any and all sports except for hockey. which i don’t play.

so i’m not doing things to pull muscles, but i’m feeling twinges of pain kind of a lot. which sucks.

but i brush it off, now consciously keeping an eye on it and taking ibuprofen when needed.

pain levels steadily rise over time, but it’s still at about a 4/10 for the most part. there’s the occasional spike to a 6, but that’s not frequent.

keep going on to mid-july. every time i leave the house, i’m feeling dull ache/twinges in multiple places and my knees feel really fucking off a lot of the time. almost like if your knees were crooked or something?? idk.

but it’s still 5.5 on the worst day. so i just kinda hesitantly mention this to my mom. who’s used to me complaining anyway, but i make it clear that it’s been going on for a while, and it feels like somethings wrong.

and she says “oh yeah we can think about seeing a doctor.”

and i just. okay! cool. fun. rad. sick. vague pain. that’s my favorite activity. i love everything about this.

but i just grit my teeth and bear it. still doing the ibuprofen thing when my ignore it and distract yourself strategy doesn’t work.

now, end of july. trucking along. i’m at least in mind discomfort pretty much all the time. sucks. hate it. i’m concerned.

go to the 31. i pull a crazy all-nighter because i have chemical imbalances in my brain and shit just happens. i stay up for like 44 hours. wild. i sit at my desk for a while, drawing and i notice “wow my left shoulder doesn’t feel that great. huh. i have been sitting here for a while.”

so i go do something else but it doesn’t feel fantastic. almost like a buzzing in parts of my back and my upper arm. on my left arm. i am right handed. don’t know what that’s about.

go to sleep sunday night, i wake up to it just being worse. (also i have some weird circulation problems because of genetics. just random shit. no pain whatsoever. just funky.)

like wtf that’s a 4 right as i’m waking up. what the actual fuck. don’t like that.

but i was raised catholic so none of us talk to each other. so i just joke about my body organizing a shitty coup d’état to a friend and chalk it up to a fucked up muscle. but it’s like kind of moving?? a bit?? weird as fuck. don’t like it. still dull pain, but certainly something that pops up into my conscious mind like 10 times a day.

i didn’t do anything would result in a pulled muscle (trust me. my school is really intense about theatre and show choir. hard core choreography in everything that i practice 3 times a week during school+whatever play/musical) so i’m really just making excuses to soothe my brain and i know it. full denial.

i took ibuprofen the first and second day. can still tell it’s happening, but it sucks less.

yesterday i play a shit ton of guitar, and i can feel my upper arm cramping up and shit (which. oW. 5.7/10. WHAT THE HELL.) even though there is no strain on my left arm except for pressing my fingertips into some strings. no shoulder shit going on.

so i try to stretch out. no help.

and then the adhd medication instead of sleeping medication debacle happens and i don’t go to bed even though i actively tried to multiple times. i write a poem instead.

hurts mildly the whole time. it starts kind of limiting the functions of my arm. which. what the actual fuck. stiff, a bit seized up in especially bad pain moments.

i get focused on writing a poem and shit i only 20 minutes to get ready to leave for my appointment.

i forgot to take any ibuprofen, and it was already reaching 5.85 levels from sitting in my room.

in the car and in the orthodontist office, my left arm is completely fucking useless to me. half of my brain at all times is focused on like “oW OW OW OW OW” because it’s reached a point where i can’t really ignore it. it’s just there now. moving it isn’t great, it sitting in place isn’t fun either.

i’m at 6.5 levels. from the round trip of like 20-ish minutes, it’s raised that much. a lot of internal dialogue about it.

on the way to the orthodontist, i’m talking to my mom about it. she, sounding kind of annoyed, asks “what, do you want to see a doctor?”. i say “honestly? yes. it’s been 3 days nonstop. steady rise. there’s something genuinely wrong. i’m concerned about it.”

it feels like someone is poking around inside my arm with electricity or some shit. whole arm. shifting localizations and slight fluctuation in pain level. rapid escalation even just today.

i explain what it feels like in less wordy terms. and she says “that’s sounds like it could be nerve-related.”

it’s been three days. i’m exhausted. this has already taken a pretty significant mental toll, let alone discomfort level.

i have a high pain tolerance. i only started actively complaining about appendicitis pain the night before it exploded. that shit festers longer than overnight. i had been i pain for half the week before i said shit. and i just kinda sucked it up until i felt like i couldn’t walk without needing hella support.

but it’s really fucking getting to me. shit ton of weird tension, buzzing. just. constant painful buzz moving around.

i express this. “it’s a non-stop pain bad enough to be something i am fully aware of at any given second. if i stare off, im probably thinking about my arm.” and she kinda dismisses it.

it’s been like an hour, and i’ve gone up to 6.8 levels multiple times. based on patterns, it’s not just gonna stop any time soon, and i’m really good at working around weird problems like this.

like i said. pain every time i go out.

i’m good at hiding when i’m not 100%, but this is beyond me. it’s like someone’s just stabbing me with tacs over and over again. on my entire left arm and on the rare occasion, part of my leg.

i’m so genuinely uncomfortable, and i would this to not be a thing anymore.

#long post #uh. help?#oW OW OW #ITS LIKE SOMEONE IS PLAYINH FUCKING OPERSTION ON ME #sorry this is so gigantic #rip my arm ig??#i’m already disabled my body doesn’t need to betray me like this #bitch tried to kill me once already and failed so it’s back and trying again and iT SO MUCH FUCKINB WORSE THAN THE FIRST TIME #HHHHH

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purge-that-urge-rhackathon · 5 years

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I was curious what your level of engagement was on your fanfics. maybe on your biggest one? Like the % of subscribers who comment. I’m curious and was hoping others would contribute too! Peace

I’m always down with this shit! :D hahaha i am an information hoarder and i actually do keep track chapter-by-chapter of the hits/kudos/comments ratios and how they change with further chapter releases to better understand the best way to engage :)

So this information would have to be taken with a grain of salt as you also have to take into account the time when things were released. I had a very great advantage at the time, because Tales hadn’t even been completely released yet (all the arcs or whatever its called) so we had new information all the time and there just wasn’t the sheer amount of content to choose from, meaning there was a WHOLE lot of demand and very little supply, so I struck while the iron was hot hahaha and that will definitely influence the numbers here.

So in knowing that, the ‘biggest’ fic in terms of all categories except comment threads would be I Never Agreed to This.

I Never Agreed to This was 106,488 words, 20 chapters, and I wrote it over the period of about a year and a half (Nov. 2015 - Jan. 2017… pretty fresh in fandom at the time). These are the current numbers on that fic.

Subscriptions: 491

Kudos: 2,864

Comment threads (individual comments i.e. not including any of my own responses): 548

Bookmarks: 667 (

I’d like to actually go by the bigger number here (using the bookmarks number instead of subscriptions, as each one represents a person who has accessed and enjoyed the fic, and gives us more an idea of actual unique individuals accessing my work).

Now in a perfect world, if every single person left a comment, then completed at 20 chapters, I should have 13, 340 comments (20 x 667).

So a 100% engagement level would be 13,340 comments

25% engagement level would be 3,335 comments

5% engagement level would be 667 comments (COINCIDENCE!)

I currently have a 4% engagement level for that fic, though also it has been completed over 2yrs now and comment interaction nosedives when something isn’t ‘fresh’ anymore.

So I averaged 27 comments per chapter going by chapter count (which isn’t actually true looking at individual chapters BUT ANYWAYS). That number is also wildly inaccurate as I definitely don’t average that, and some chapters get WAY more comments than others, as we all know). A lot of the comments on successive chapters are often by the same lovely lovely people.

Going by engagement based on comments, it’s pretty damn poor. There’s lots of ways to interpret the data of course, and these are just the basic basics, but yeah this is why fanfic writers tend to bitch AHAHAH

But don’t get me wrong i LOVE every single comment I’ve had and that’s still a huge number overall :D And like I don’t think fandom really understands how important that multi-commenter can be to the writer. Those comments I’ve had aren’t all from different individuals; many are from the same folks cheerleading me all the way to the finish line and like they CARRIED the story let me tell you right now.

More engagement would be awesome and I’m very curious to see how it would effect current fandom. That fic is rather old tho and has also had time to accumulate what it does (it’s been 4 years since I started it and over 2 since it was finished, and a good hundred comments have probably been left since it wasnt as fresh, so I feel that’s kind of outdated numbers too).

^sex sells and that’s a fact LOLOL

I feel like maybe a more accurate check of current fandom engagement would be to look at All Sales Final instead (more recent work, tho not my ‘biggest’ in terms of popularity or whatever you wanna grade it at, but definitely not in the initial wild phase after Tales was released).

Since that fic is still in progress and thus any measurement of engagement is current as of right now since we’re in the middle of things, let’s look at those numbers :)

All Sales Final (152,846 words; 22 chapters; Sept. 2017 - present cuz tired and slow)

Subscriptions: 470

Kudos: 1,529

Comment Threads (not including my own): 586

Bookmarks: 317

470 folks currently subscribed to it, 586 individual comments. We’re doin better!! At 22 chapters, that is 26.6 comments per chapters (again, usually by the same very lovely people supporting me, and also some newer hits as well :D THANK YOU!).

A current 100% engagement level would be 10,340 comments

25% engagement level would be 2585 comments.

5% engagement level would be 517 comments

I’m at about a 5.7% engagement level with 586 comments, so hey, it’s better than before! Also of course I am very very active about promoting and other stuff :) So that’s neat!

I know on the less popular, short stuff, I get a pretty regular 10% engagement level right off the bat. That does go down though as time goes on. That’s why I bitch so much about people not commenting on fic after about 2 weeks that it’s been done and out. Folks tend to think there’s an expiration date on when the writer would like to hear that they enjoyed their work, which is bogus as hell i LOVE getting comments on my old work! I maybe can’t reply as often as I’d like but then I am using that time to turn out sheer quantity so I think that’s excused! HAHAHA

I’m fully aware that engagement levels tank after a fic has ‘expired’ so to speak, so I tend to be working round the clock on new stuff because i fucking LOVE comments I am addicted to them xD But yeah, for being around as long as I have the numbers ain’t lookin good! xDDDD (also sorry if this is SUPER rambly or unclear anywhere, my dumb ass is still recovering from alcohol poisoning a day before yesterday LOLOL x_x).

#poisonjack answers #thanks for asking anon! :D #if you'd like other data plz ask ^___^ i know there's a few accounts here that actually do fandom metrics its freakin KILLER #i'm not shy about talking this shit i love it you'll probably wish i would shut up sooner than i will xD ahahhaa #...honestly i think engagement is going down too because we are ALL so fucking drained from how EXTRA shit the fucking world is rn #i understand needing comfort fic and not having the strength to leace comments like i get it. i'm writing to try and escape that #and then i get wicked depressed when stuff doesnt do as well as i thought and i dont update shit for fucking AGES ahahha #yeah #if we think in terms of every one of those numbers being a person in a room tho... like man i am one flattered fuck thank you :)#<3<3<3<3

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pedroanwildary68insurance-blog · 5 years

Text

How much more would i have to pay insurance for a cheve monte carlo?

Im 16 and i want to get a cheve monte carlo but my parents say that the insurance will be too much, but there are a lot of people my age with one and i am pretty sure we are more better off financial than they are

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :insureoptionsreview.top

SOURCES:

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badbackgroundscience · 6 years

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Did you try peanut butter?

It’s probably best that the MCU didn’t introduce Baron Zemo by having him walk on the backs of indigenous South Americans and lament a piece of fabric has been glued to his head for the past two decades while never thinking to find a chemical that could remove it.*

In the comics, Zemo was “Hitler’s greatest scientist” who was so hated by literally everyone that he constantly wore a sheet over his head to protect his identity. Cap found him working on a substance called, uncreatively, Adhesive X. Zemo tried to shoot him, but Cap’s shield broke the chemical vat and a whole load of the stuff got all over his head.

He’s now hiding in an uncharted South American jungle,** and only now learns Cap’s still alive. So he sends a group of baddies to New York we’ve all seen before: the dude who injected eagle blood into a horse and made it grow wings capable of flight, the dude who melts stuff, and the dude who’s slightly more radioactive than average.

Said baddies spray some of the Avengers with Adhesive X, but Iron Man cuts the ground around them and drags them back to his mansion with a truck. They contact Paste Pot Pete - the totally infamous supervillain who’s tried to kill a teenager (no, not that one) a couple of time - for a solution. He has one.

And it works.

The team makes quick work of the villains by swapping who fights whom (compared to their previous appearances), and Zemo ends up getting away with a canister of tear gas instead of Pete’s “super-dissolver”.

Before we get to any science, I want to point out a completely useless fact:

Helicopters get their name from the greek words for helix (elix, ἕλιξ) and wing (pteron, πτερόν). In other words, it’s not heli-copter. It’s helico-pter.

So it should really be called a helico-hovercraft.

There. Pedantry over.

Now let’s talk about adhesives.

Humanoids have been using gunk to stick two things together since time immemorial (or at least 200,000 years ago). Yes, I do mean more than just humans -- Neanderthals were using a birch-based tar to stick the stone bits of their tools to wooden handles (aka “hafting”), too.

The oldest compound adhesive (i.e. an adhesive made of more than one substance) discovered is a blend of plant gum and red ochre (a variety of iron oxide), with the latter added to make the organic bit less susceptible to breaking down upon exposure to water. It was found in a 70,000 year old axe in South Africa.

The first commercial glue venture was established in 1690 (in Holland) - those adhesives were animal-based. Starch-based adhesives were used on the first US stamps, circa 1840. Basically, there are a lot of ways to make adhesives...even those based on a blend of urea and formaldehyde, which was a thing in the 1930s.

There was a lot of development in synthetic adhesives during WWII, so it’s actually not totally random that Zemo was developing a fancy new glue.

While there are a bunch of different types of adhesives, they all ultimately work because of the physics principle called adhesion - the tendency for particles of different substances to stick together. That sticking can come about by a few different ways, over different lengths, including...

mechanical adhesion - interlocking surfaces together because it fills the voids/pores of the surfaces

chemical adhesion - electrons in the two surfaces get shared or transferred, forming covalent or ionic bonds (respectively), or hydrogen bonds

dispersive adhesion - different molecules in the two surfaces are weakly attracted to one another because said molecules have one side that’s got a slight positive charge (and the other has a slight negative charge).*** This is aka Van der Waals forces.

diffusive adhesion - the molecules of the two different surfaces get all mixed up in each other’s business, lets Van der Waals forces do their thing without a separate adhesive.

Lots of things stick to each other with no extra compound, e.g. (small enough) water droplets on a window. Some things you want to stick together, but they naturally don’t. That’s what adhesives are for -- acting as an intermediary.

Of course, anyone who’s accidentally superglued their fingers together knows that you don’t always only glue the things you want to. So you gotta find a compound that can break the adhesive down.

Some adhesives break down because of intense temperature changes, or exposure to light. Others require being dissolved (or otherwise broken down) by some kind of solvent.

We have no idea what Zemo tried previously -- if he tried all possible solvents that wouldn’t melt his face off, too -- but lucky for the city of New York, Paste Pot Pete found a universal solvent that wasn’t water.****

We don’t know exactly how strong Adhesive X is, but we can at least pretend to know by searching for Nature’s equivalent:

Nature’s strongest adhesive is produced by the bacteria Caulobacter crescentus, which requires and average ~70 Newtons of force to separate each square millimeter of the bacteria from its glued-to surface.

We don’t know how much surface area of Zemo’s head is glued to that hood, but each square centimeter would require 7000 Newtons of force.

That’s equivalent to ~1,600 pounds.

Yeah, he’s definitely not pulling that off.

Finally, I just wanted to show you that Tony makes lead balloons:

Can a lead balloon float?

Sure, as long as the lead is thin enough and the gas inside is sufficiently less dense than air.

For example, a 1 micometer-thick***** lead balloon 4m in diameter would have a mass of 5.7 kg. Assuming you only pumped in so much helium that the pressure on the inside was the same as the outside, you’d have an additional 6 kg of helium. Altogether, your balloon would have a buoyant force equal to 115 mN.

That’s a pretty small number, but it’s bigger than 0, so the balloon floats.

Of course, the helium in this instance is only used to inflate the balloon and maintain its structural integrity. Hydrogen is less dense, and would therefore provide extra lift. It’s flammable, though.

That’s all from me -- go watch Deadp2l.

* Yes, dear reader. Despite what might be implied in the previous panel, behold:

** This isn’t completely random, as come the end of World War II, a number of Nazis fled to South America.

*** More complex molecules might have more than one positive/negative section

**** Water is often called a universal solvent ‘cause it dissolves a lot of stuff. But it also doesn’t dissolve a lot of stuff.

*****I realize it’s difficult to make a balloon one millionth of a meter thick. If anyone can do it, Tony can.

Avengers #6 - Writer: Stan Lee, Art: Jack Kirby, Ink: Chic Stone

#comics #Avengers #physics #adhesive #density

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cksmart-world · 4 years

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The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

January 1, 2020

MIKE LEE: CONSTITUTIONAL HERO

& TRUMP’S NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Utah Sen. Mike Lee is an expert on the U.S. Constitution, if he does say so himself. Mike Lee has always promoted American values, like low taxes for corporate job creators, guns in schools, religious freedom, and freeing up public lands. He's what Sarah Palin calls a real American. But little did we know that Mike Lee is also a real hero. The Utah senator is playing a critical role behind the scenes to get President Donald Trump acquitted in his upcoming impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, according to Politico. Isn't that cool. Just because he will serve as an “impartial” juror doesn't mean... well, who cares what it means. When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry, Lee began regularly talking strategy with the president and White House counsel. Lee has helped advise Trump and his team on how not only to exonerate the president, but also how to put those stinkin' Democrats on trial. “We’re going to embarrass the heck out of the Democratic Party...” Lee said. “The president’s going to win, and win in a big way.” That's not exactly what the founders outlined in the Constitution, but Mike Lee, is, after all, an expert and a patriot. At least that's what he said. Gotta keep the democracy strong, right Mike?

SHUT UP FINLAND — HAPPINESS ISN'T EVERYTHING

Here in America, we like to work. We like to work long hours so we can realize the American Dream as seen on TV in shows like, “How I Met Your Mother,” where no one worries about health insurance or college tuition. We like to work extra hard because the spending power of the average wage earner has been stuck since 1970, according to a recent Pew Research Center report. And that's not the whole story. According to Fortune magazine, the 400 richest people in the U.S — the top 0.00025% — have tripled their share of wealth since 1987, while the 150 million Americans in the bottom 60% have seen a decline from a 5.7% to a 2.1%. But take heart, you can always move to Finland. There, Sanna Marin, the 34-year-old prime minister, has a different idea: “A four-day work week with a six-hour workdays. Why couldn’t it be the next step?,” she said. “I believe people deserve to spend more time with their families, loved ones, hobbies and other aspects of life.” Finns already are rated as the happiest people in the world. They all have inexpensive healthcare and education. And they're always skiing and singing. But who wants to live in a place where you only get to work 24 hours a week. Sure, we're not rated in the top 10 happiest countries (we're 17th), but so what. Happiness isn't everything.

TRUMP'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

1 – Don't forget Melania's birthday again this year.

2 – Fire that idiot Mick Mulvaney.

3 – Increase golfing from one day out of every five to two of five.

4 – Keep telling white people I'm building a wall even though it ain't really happening.

5 – Convince Rocket Man to sign a nuclear treaty and I'll build hotels in North Korea.

6 – Tell Mitch he's toast if he doesn't shred Joe and Hunter Biden.

7 – Have Ivanka fix the China Trade War— she's good at making money off those guys.

8 – Get my face on Time magazine and blackmail those bastards who give out the Nobel Prize. I deserve it more than Obama — more than anyone, goddamnit.

9 – Give Vladdy the very first membership to the new Trump Resort in Crimea. He'll love it.

10 – And find a way to start a war with Iran to get impeachment out of the news and spur my poll numbers for November.

PONZI SCHEMES R US

Here in the Beehive State we love a good Ponzi scheme. That's no lie — Utah is numero uno when it comes to these confidence games, where folks can get screwed out of their entire life savings. Some Monday morning quarterbacks say it's because we are so trusting. People often use the word “trusting” instead of “sucker” because it's more polite. And Utahns are polite people — mostly. Was it P.T. Barnum, who said, “There's a sucker born every minute.” Or was it Greg Hughes? Well, it's not important. What is important is that nice, hard-working folks in Utah keep getting suckered into these deals that seem much too good to be true: “Look, Sister Smith, here's the deal. You re-mortgage your house, give me all the money and then I'll give you back twice as much.” Of course, there's nothing in The Bible about Ponzi schemes — Thou shalt not play thou neighbor for a fool. Although, “Thou shalt not steal,” comes dangerously close. It is fraud, after all. Still, Brother Young does seem like such a nice, sincere man. And he always comes to church with his cute family. And an investment in these gas-powered flashlights sounds like a sure bet. What could possibly go wrong?

Post Script — Well, that's it for another year here at Smart Bomb, where the staff has made a bunch of foolish New Year's resolutions, so you don't have to. It's been one helluva decade, too, where a lot of good stuff happened — we just can't think of anything at the moment. And frankly, it's best forgotten. But we're now into a new decade and hope springs eternal. With the year 2020, Numerology must be on our side. According to numerology.com, 2020 is a very special year of perfect vision and accomplishment. “In 2020, the code of peace, 20/20 vision, and responsibility will help you create real results and security...” How 'bout them apples? Wilson and the band are more into astrology and karma, but even they have to admit 2020 does have a ring to it. And if we all put our heads together and think good thoughts, who knows, anything is possible: global warming could be halted; Republicans could pull their heads out; and the Utes could win a championship — OK, maybe that's a little too hopeful.

All right, Wilson, put down the champagne and take us into the new decade: When the moon is in the Seventh House / And Jupiter aligns with Mars / Then peace will guide the planets / And love will steer the stars / This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius / Age of Aquarius / Aquarius / Harmony and understanding / Sympathy and trust abounding / No more falsehoods or derisions / Golden living dreams of visions / Mystic crystal revelation / And the mind's true liberation / Aquarius / Aquarius...

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privateplates4u · 5 years

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Exclusive 2018 Kia Stinger GT First Test: Well Stung

The concept of “grand touring” has been around for centuries, and the moniker has been applied to cars since the 1940s, but it’s a term we tend to associate with exotic sports cars. The formula, though, is pretty simple: stylish, comfortable on a long drive, and plenty of power. But there’s no rule that says it has to cost a fortune, and the Kia Stinger GT is absolutely taking advantage of this exception. We’ve driven prototypes at an overseas R & D complex, on a frozen Swedish lake, and on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Now, finally, we’ve driven a production-spec 2018 Kia Stinger GT on real roads and to our own Auto Club Speedway test track. How does it fare against the German luxury sedans against which it will undoubtedly be compared? Korean-branded cars usually aren’t synonymous with performance, but the rear-drive Stinger GT launches from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and clocks the standing quarter mile in 13.3 seconds at 106.9 mph. An emergency stop from 60 mph requires 113 feet, and it’ll pull 0.85 average lateral g on a skidpad. On our exclusive figure-eight test track, the Stinger GT recorded a lap of 26.2 seconds at 0.71 average lateral g. Impressive numbers. It’s pretty good to drive away from the test track, too. Out in the mountains, the Stinger GT exhibits a surprising but intriguing combination of vertical compliance and lateral stiffness. Over bumps, the suspension was soft and the ride of luxury-car quality. In the corners, though, it was stiff with excellent body control. Even when pushing hard, the Stinger GT rode well but dug into corners with little body roll. The power is well-matched to the vehicle and only feels inadequate if you let the revs drop too low. You want those turbochargers working for you, and the best way to do it is to take advantage of the paddle shifters because the transmission isn’t quite aggressive enough for the really twisty roads. “The engine has a fat torque curve, strong in midrange with noticeable lag at the bottom end,” our staff professional racer, Randy Pobst, said during filming for an episode of Ignition—which you can watch right now at Motor Trend OnDemand and YouTube.com/motortrend. “Low revs mean calling ahead and waiting for the power to be delivered. The Stinger is quite powerful, and one must constantly remind oneself that this is a Kia that is tearing up this winding road or on-ramp.” Randy’s critique continued: “The transmission is just not sport-smart enough in automatic, especially on the track. It shifts up, so I just let it. There’s no reason for me to pull that paddle. I just have to remember to downshift on the way in, or else it won’t. The shifting is reasonable. It matches revs. It’s quick.” It’s hard to say whether the transmission programming has changed since I drove a prototype on the Nürburgring or if our mountain roads and the Streets of Willow Springs racetrack are so much tighter that it amplifies the transmission’s inadequacy, but my initial impressions were more positive. As well as we know the Stinger GT can drift in the right conditions, it doesn’t actually want to get wild out in the real world. The suspension tuning is conservative, the default behavior at the limit understeer. It makes the car very stable, never trying to swap ends no matter how hard you drive it. Thankfully, there’s a lot of grip in the front end, so you have to push it very hard to get it to plow. Just driving fast, it feels neutral. You need to be pushing your braking points to the last second and carrying as much speed as possible into a corner to make it cry uncle. Here again, I wonder if the American-market tuning increases understeer versus the European-spec car I drove. Or maybe Randy just carries that much more speed in the corners. It’s probably the latter. The upshot: You’ll never feel a stability control intervention. “What they’ve done is create stability control by tuning the car for a lot of understeer in the middle of a corner,” Randy said. That’s not to say it won’t drift. Turn the computer off, give it a Scandinavian flick and too much throttle, and it’ll do a nice power oversteer or two. It’s just not a hoon by nature. “It seems that the stability control is always learning and adapting,” Randy said. “Even with it turned off, it became more and more invasive as the day wore on, and the wheelspin and sliding woke up the nannies that watch over us hooligans. After a few nice drifts, the car began to resolutely resist power oversteer—a darned shame and frustrating.” In other words, this is a grand touring sedan that actually takes its GT badge seriously. Out on the highway, it’s everything you want on a road trip. It floats over bad pavement while remaining taut and responsive on long, sweeping corners. In a world of Demons and Hellcats, 365 hp might not seem like a lot, but it’s plenty when applied correctly. The in-house eight-speed auto is programmed smartly for real-world conditions, delivering downshifts with little prodding. With the revs up and the turbos spinning, the engine delivers a pleasant surge of power that whisks you past trucks and loafers. It’s a very easy and comfortable car to cover distance in. “The springs and shocks that control vertical motion are quite soft,” Randy said. “But transitional responses are quite well-controlled, likely by relatively strong anti-roll bars, and the ride is still quite compliant. Think ‘older Buick’ ride quality. Surprising for a sport sedan like this.” It’s not just comfortable from the driver’s seat, either. The Kia has 2 to 4 inches of wheelbase over the Germans, and it puts them to good use. There’s ample rear-seat legroom and, despite the sloping roof, headroom for tall people. The front seats, meanwhile, are aggressively bolstered so you can concentrate on those mountain roads when you cross their path. Capable though it may be from seat to steering, and despite testing it on the Nürburgring, Kia insists the Stinger GT isn’t a track car. We took it to a track anyway, and things got complicated. Kia’s press cars at the moment are all preproduction prototypes, and the first car they gave us suffered a power steering failure and had to be replaced. The second car, as it turns out, hadn’t yet had its U.S.-spec springs and dampers installed, and it exhibited considerably more body roll and understeer on the track than the first car. As a result, Randy posted a lap time—1:28.90—that he felt wasn’t representative of what the car could do. With a properly equipped car, Randy believes he could subtract a full second. Things that didn’t change on track: the car’s weight and its braking performance—113 feet isn’t anywhere near a record in our 60–0-mph braking test, but it only tells part of the story. Randy was continually impressed at the durability of the brakes. Throughout a very hot day, the pedal remained consistent, and the steel brakes refused to fade. “The brakes are impressively strong, with a consistent and firm pedal feel that inspires confidence,” he said. “The braking does not upset the chassis, and the pad compound can take the heat.” There will be heat, and not just from the brakes. The Stinger GT is taking on a wildly competitive segment ruled by a small in-crowd. Whether it’s staring down the German triumvirate or the American holdouts, the sport sedan from the value brand has a lot to prove. “For a first effort at a genuine sport sedan, the Stinger is quite an accomplishment,” Randy said. “It clearly is set up for a comfortable ride as a priority over race car dynamics, but in the real world, this makes sense. Even more so among buyers of a big, powerful GT car.” Like no Korean car before it, the Stinger GT speaks the language of the enthusiast. Will they listen? 2018 Kia Stinger GT BASE PRICE $40,000 (est) PRICE AS TESTED $50,000 (est) VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 3.3L/365-hp/376-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,005 lb (52/48%) WHEELBASE 114.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 190.2 x 73.6 x 55.1 in 0-60 MPH 4.8 sec QUARTER MILE 13.3 sec @ 106.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 113 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.85 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.2 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON Not Tested How does the Stinger stack up? How good are the Kia’s performance numbers for a 365-hp 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 with 376 lb-ft of torque and a roughly $40,000 starting price? They seem all right when you consider the Stinger GT falls between a midsize and full-size sedan in dimension and weighs 4,005 pounds. Making a direct comparison is trickier because it’s hard to say exactly what the Stinger competes with. The Chevrolet SS was the most obvious spoiler, but it’s out of production. It started at about $48,000, hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, ran a quarter mile in 13.2 seconds at 108.9 mph, stopped from 60 in 108 feet, pulled 0.94 g average on the skidpad, and posted a 24.7-second figure-eight lap at 0.78 g average. You could match it up with the Dodge Charger even though that car is 10 inches longer with a wheelbase nearly 6 inches longer, and it’s 300 pounds heavier. An R/T with the 370-hp 5.7-liter V-8 is cheaper by five grand, but the Kia will dust it everywhere but the skidpad and figure eight—and even then, it’s close. You need the $41,000 R/T Scat Pack with the 485-hp 6.4-liter V-8 if you want to win. And the Kia has a far nicer interior. No, Kia wants a piece of the Germans. After all, the Stinger GT has a hatchback like the smaller Audi A5 Sportback or BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. (The more appropriately sized Audi A7 is $69,000, in case you were wondering.) The Audi A5 is $43,000 to start, and your only option is the 252-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four. Based on results of the lighter A4, it’s slower, but like the Charger, it just pips the Kia on the skidpad and figure eight. But it’s substantially smaller. The BMW is also smaller but can be had with a turbo I-6 with 320 hp for about $50,000. Based on our test of the lighter 340i sedan, the 440i Gran Coupe is slower than the Kia, full stop. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t make a hatchback sedan (yet), but to smoke the Kia, you’d need to spring for the $54,000 C43 AMG, which clips the Kia in every test but is, again, a smaller package. In other words, the Kia can hang with the big dogs and might have carved out a pretty sharp niche.The post Exclusive 2018 Kia Stinger GT First Test: Well Stung appeared first on Motor Trend.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/kia/stinger/2018/2018-kia-stinger-gt-first-test-review/

#Car Performance #First Tests

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nbatrades · 11 years

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Miami Heat Adds James Ennis In 2013 Draft Night Deal

On June 27th, 2013, the Atlanta Hawks traded the draft rights of James Ennis to the Miami Heat for a 2017 second round draft pick (Sterling Brown).

Due to a couple of previous trades, the Miami Heat were left without a draft pick entering the 2013 NBA Draft. Looking for talent that they could develop and possibly stash away for the future, the Heat acquired a second round pick from the Atlanta Hawks for a future second rounder.

Since the wing corps of Miami were mostly nearing retirement, the Heat were in search of a young swingman. They found that in guard-forward James Ennis. A former attendee of Oxnard and Ventura College, he settled on Long Beach State for his Junior and Senior season.

Ennis showcased steady growth, earning Big West Player of the Year and First team All-Big West in his senior season after averaging 16.5 PPG and 6.7 RPG. Ennis was seen as a possible two-way player with versatility in terms of different positions he could play, defensive skills already established with signs of a developing three-point shot.

The Long Beach State product joined the Heat in 2013 Summer League and impressed early on. He averaged 13.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.9 APG and 1.5 SPG while shooting 39% from three in 11 Summer League games in Las Vegas and Orlando.

Miami did not sign Ennis due to luxury tax concerns. Though the Heat preferred for Ennis to go to the NBA D-League and play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Ennis chose to play in Australia to financially provide for his family.

During the 2013-14 season, Ennis played in games for Perth of the NBL in Australia (21.2 PPG and 7.2 RPG) and with Pirata de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico (16.6 PPG and 8.2 RPG).

Heading into the summer of 2014, Ennis appeared in Summer League for the second time. The wing managed 15.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.3 SPG on 48% shooting from beyond the arc in six games. Thanks to his Summer League performance, Ennis signed a multi-year deal with the Heat.

Ennis entered training camp with a new look Miami Heat squad. LeBron James left Miami to return to Cleveland and the Heat looked to replace him with the likes of acquisitions Luol Deng and Danny Granger. Ennis was looking to stay on the roster with a nonguaranteed contract. A strong performance in the preseason (10.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 50% from the field and 40% from beyond three) solidified Ennis’ spot on the roster and he made the cut.

The LeBron-less Heat began the 2014-15 season 5-2. Injuries would decimate Miami’s hopes for success post LeBron. Wade missed 20 games due to a variety of injuries and Bosh missed nearly half of the season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung.

Miami went through multiple changes. In-season signee Hassan Whiteside came from nowhere to take the starting spot at center and the team also acquired guard Goran Dragic from Phoenix ahead of the trade deadline. With all of the changes and different lineups, Miami finished one game out of the postseason with a 37-45 record.

Ennis made a memorable introduction in his first career NBA game. He had an impressive one-handed dunk over Wizards guard-forward Rasual Butler in the season opener.

GIF via NBA

Ennis was in and out of Miami’s rotation as he had his ups and downs as a rookie contributing off the bench. Ennis appeared in 62 games and managed to put up 5.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 0.8 APG in 17.0 MPG.

In the summer of 2015, Ennis joined Miami’s Summer League team for the third consecutive year. He struggled this time, producing 8.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG on 30% on FGs and 9% on threes in seven games. Ennis was dealing with tendinitis in his knee during this time.

Miami held a trigger date to guarantee half of Ennis’ contract August 1st of 2015 and fully guarantee it on January 15th 2016. However, both parties agreed to change the contract to have one trigger date — the eve of the 2015-16 regular season — to fully guarantee the contract. Miami guaranteed Ennis’ salary after he made it through 2015 training camp.

Ennis didn’t last long in the regular season. He played in three games and seven scoreless minutes before he was traded with guard Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jarnell Stokes and Beno Udrih. Ennis ended his run in Miami with 4.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 0.8 APG in 65 contests. He shot 41% from the field, 33% from three and 84% from the free-throw line in that time.

The draft pick acquired in the deal was top-40 protected in 2017 and unprotected in 2018. Atlanta dealt the draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in a 2017 deal involving players Tiago Splitter and Ersan Ilyasova.

Since, the Miami Heat (41-41) were a middling squad in the 2016-17 season, the second rounder ended up in the 46th position of the 2017 draft. That allowed the pick to be conveyed. The Sixers drafted guard Sterling Brown from SMU and traded his rights to the Milwaukee Bucks for cash considerations.

James Ennis on the shock of finding out he’d been traded on draft night via Long Beach State University Athletics):

“Yeah, it was very shocking. I’m just excited. I want to play with LeBron [James]. He’s the best player in the world. [The Heat] are on a two-peat. They can get three and hopefully I’ll be on the roster to get another ring with them.”

Miami Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley on acquiring Ennis (via Sun Sentinel):

“We were happy to get into the draft. We feel that James Ennis, with his size and athleticism, has a huge upside and someone we hope can develop into a high quality NBA player.”

Heat vice president of player personnel Chet Kammerer on how the team heard about Ennis (via Heat Hoops):

“I heard about (Ennis) when he was (still) at Ventura College. His first year at Long Beach State, I went to practice there with coach (Dan) Monson, and watched the first weekend of practice. They had this real good team with Casper Ware, (Larry) Anderson and (TJ) Robinson. I went to watch those guys. But when I got there to watch the practice, I noticed this young, long wing. By the end of the practice, I was really impressed with him. I said, ‘There’s the best pro prospect on the roster.’”

On Miami’s plan for the 2013 draft:

“Coach Riley thought that we should see if there was somebody we liked around the middle of the draft, maybe in the early 40s. James was the guy that we sort of targeted there.”

How he felt the Heat nearly gave up on drafting Ennis due to struggling to make a deal for a second rounder:

“As the draft went along we thought we had a pick in the early 40s and it didn’t work. We tried again in the mid 40s and he was still on the board, which was surprising to us. We had almost given up because we had lost out on a couple times — teams wanted more than we were willing to give –until we saw we could get the 50s pick. When it came to us at 50, we were elated because he was still on the board.”

On the next steps for Ennis:

“We’ll have him for almost three weeks coming up real shortly. That’s the beginning of the process. He’ll have opportunity to be coached and begin his introduction into Heat basketball and our culture and those things.”

Ennis’ coach at Long Beach State Dan Monson on Ennis going to Miami (via Orange County Register):

“I think it’s a great honor for James. All of the hard work and sacrifices he made for us have paid off, and this chance is well deserved. I’m thrilled for him personally and it’s tremendous for our program and the university. He really couldn’t have gone to a better place, considering the role models there, guys like LeBron and Dwyane Wade. It’s a perfect situation for him for him to succeed.”

Image via Getty Images/Jesse D. Garrabrant

#James Ennis #Heat #Hawks #2013 #2013 NBA Draft #2013*14 Season #Sterling Brown

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gaiatheorist · 7 years

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Healthy/Happy.

(Yes, it’s a spin-out from one of my mid-life health-check blood tests coming back outside normal parameters. My Potassium level was 5.7, 6 is indicative of imminent renal failure. After the initial “I am going to DIE!” panic-palpitations, and the associated anxiety that elevated blood-Potassium can cause palpitations, I calmed down, and reassured myself that it was one spike on an otherwise OK chart. The nurse had to use a special small needle, because my veins are uncooperative, ‘bruising’ of the blood during difficult drawing can cause erroneous results. I’d consumed LOADS of water, to flush the excessive alcohol out of my system for the urine test, and likely sent my kidneys into overdrive. The blood sample could have been damaged in transit. I won’t actually know if my kidneys are fucked until the second sample is tested, but that didn’t stop my brain throwing a lovely “You can’t eat THAT!” tantrum while I was grocery shopping. My kidneys are damaged, or they were when I was 14 or 15, virtually constant urinary tract infections as a child led to some scarring, and an ‘acute over-dilation of the upper uretral tract’. Welcome to me, it’s exhausting.)

I’m going to park the fact that I’m incredibly unhealthy right alongside the concern that the UK government is destroying the NHS. I am giving no mind-space to “Well, it won’t matter if your kidneys fail if that nutter presses the button.”

I am fat-ist. I don’t mean to be, and I try not to be openly, directly offensive to overweight people, because I have no idea why they’re overweight. If you want to unpick it, I had a childhood in active poverty, with both parents, and pretty much every other source of influence having an open “Look at the state of that!” attitude to overweight people. That will have been peasant-jealousy, that other people weren’t subsisting on off-cuts from their Dad’s on-off work at the chicken factory, and mince with gristle in it. Cut-through my maladaptive adolescence, where my body was the only thing I had any degree of control over, I effectively disabled my hunger-trigger. There wasn’t any food that wasn’t freezer-shop crap, I don’t eat much of that now, because it’s loaded with chemicals, and because it tastes ‘cheap’. You can be as clever as you like with seasonings, but a freezer-shop ready-meal is always going to have that damaged/’is-this-horse?’ taste to it. The last two decades saw me enfolded into the welcoming bosom of the ex’s family, as well as suffocating me, they were fond of trying to force-feed me, whilst carrying on wittering about which foods were ‘slimming’. Food isn’t ‘slimming’. I’m not sure ‘slimming’ can apply to food, food is fuel, it’s calories, and nutrition, it’s the holistic surrounding factors that influence whether the food you eat causes you to gain weight.

(Flash-back to a training course where there was an intelligent but heated debate on whether it was ‘better’ to continue eating junk-food, but just less of it, or to completely switch to a ‘healthy’ diet. Either way, weight would reduce, but one would have less emotional impact on the type of person who was used to junk-food, and didn’t actually have the desire to change.)

These modern ‘diets’ and slimming clubs seem to put less emphasis on the ‘eat less’ angle, it looks, from the outside, and from the endless overheard discussions, that they’re about ‘different’, not ‘denial’. There’s been a decline in the “Diet, day 4, I’m bastard STARVING!” comments on Fakebook, and an increase in the number of people posting their certificates showing how much weight they’ve lost. I am happy that they are happy, in my weird, couldn’t-actually-give-a-shit way. I’m happy when they’re more energetic, feel brighter in themselves, and are starting to enjoy life, rather than waddle about under cover of darkness. I’m less happy when they can only see the aesthetic aspect of the weight-loss, but that’s my weirdness, not theirs.

I am slim, I’ve been hefty, but never crossed the arbitrary BMI-25 line, I’ve been so thin that the arbitrary line dipped under 18, I genuinely don’t know why I still bother calculating it. When I was up at the higher end, nobody said anything, joking that trouser-waistbands were training to be magicians, and rehearsing the ‘sawing a woman in half’ trick were normalised. Conversations about wearing ‘flattering’ clothes, to disguise belly-slabs, and wobbly bits were accepted, and the “I know I shouldn’t finish eating this, I’m full.” conversation went round on an endless loop.

When I lost weight, suddenly everyone wanted to comment on it. In a negative way. “You’ve lost too much weight.” “There’s nothing left of you.” “You need to eat more pies.” You’re not ‘allowed’ to do that to people at the other end of the scale, in this society where ‘everyone’ is a bit overweight, you’re not supposed to ask people if they really need that third biscuit, or tell them that their trousers are so stretched-tight that you’re wondering if their cellulite could be read like braille. Thin women are fair game, though. I can sort-of understand some of it, I know I looked ill for a fair while. That would be because I was. I knew I was ill, and I knew I’d lost weight, people being ‘kind’ by pointing out they could see my ribs didn’t cause the scales to fall from my eyes, or help my obsession with the bathroom scales. (I went through a weird phase of taking a photo of the display on my scales each morning, and was a hair’s breadth from messaging it to the shrieky-office crew, who talked about nothing but Slimming World. I have a modicum of restraint, though.)

Weird. I was unhappy being that thin, I was weak, I was genuinely emaciated, and I’d taken in the waistbands on my trousers to stop me having to hitch them up every 30 seconds. I hope people just didn’t realise how hurtful-insensitive some of their comments were, or the restraint I showed in trying to deflect with humour, instead of just screaming at them. Some of them were unhappy with their own weight, but I don’t think there was any conscious kicking-downwards, I think that, in a society where ‘everyone’ wants to lose weight, seeing someone who has lost weight is a bit confusing.

I’m waffling. People come in all shapes and sizes. The ‘size zero’ phenomenon a few years ago polarised opinion. The fashion industry WANTED to see ribs, and hip-bones, but the average UK citizen isn’t anything like that shape, so there was a backlash, that being THAT thin isn’t healthy. Now, we have the ‘obesity epidemic’, but most of us are too British-reserved to point out that someone’s a bit on the podgy side, in case we’re accused of body-shaming. Most of us aren’t tabloid newspapers, or internet trolls. Children, and adolescents are growing up in this world, this mixed-message world, the long-term consequences are terrifying, physically, and emotionally.

Disordered eating, in the broadest sense, is NOT about food, it’s about feelings. I’m lucky in that I’ve never equated food with a ‘treat’ or a ‘reward’, food is boring but necessary fuel for this sack of meat-we-don’t-eat. Listen to Tim Minchin’s ‘Fat Children’, and you see part of the problem. Another part of the problem is the on-the-wagon-off-the-wagon cyclic ‘dieting’, the kids aren’t seeing consistency, they either have role models who are snappy, ketone-breathed monsters, insisting they eat their vegetables, or comfort-eating, convenience-food couch-dwellers. Assimilate that into a developing data-matrix, with the government/NHS pushing for healthier lifestyles, the fashion models still being ‘too thin’, and the tabloids and trolls still playing fat’s-fair-game; any wonder they’re confused?

In my opinion, there’s too much focus on aesthetics, and ‘look good, feel good’ is the wrong way around. I have genuine desires to start arguments with the parents coo-ing ‘pretty’ and ‘gorgeous’, and fucking ‘sexy’ at their pram-contents, but I don’t, because I’m British, and the type of person who tickles a baby, and says “Who’s sexy?” to it wouldn’t grasp my concern. Girls are ‘pretty’, and boys are ‘strong’, there must be no deviation from the established norm. That places pretty boys, and strong girls in a difficult position, when acquiring the requisite number of Fakebook-likes to validate their existence.

I know I bang on about ‘happy’, and the myth of the Instagram/Fakebook perfect life, but this dichotomy forced on body-image is damaging. It’s a Goldilocks-myth, too hot, too cold, just right, but once the porridge is sorted, there’s the chair, and the bed, and HOLY FUCK IT’S A BEAR. The ‘just right’ doesn’t hold, because there’s always something else to find, or do, or change, people are happy, and then someone says something hurtful, and they feel the need to either justify themselves, or make another change. I’m not advocating stagnation, but, for the love of all the Gods, if you’re doing the ‘diet’ or exercise thing, do it for yourself, not for other people. If you want to be attractive, or attainable, that’s fine, as long as you’re doing it for yourself, and not just turning into a leggings-lemming. We all have a responsibility to ourselves to be healthy, or we’ll accelerate our own demise; we have a responsibility to be as ‘happy’ as we can, too, genuinely content with ourselves, not aesthetic-neurotic.

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ericfruits · 7 years

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The problems of family planning in Nigeria

NOT everyone thinks birth control is a blessing. Boko Haram, a jihadist group that terrorises north-eastern Nigeria, deems artificial contraception to be a product of infidel learning, and therefore forbidden. Its ideologues also believe that females should avoid school, marry early (sometimes while still children) and have lots of babies. In the dwindling areas the jihadists control, women have no choice.

Even outside those areas, contraception is controversial. Boko Haram’s ideology didn’t spring from nowhere. Many Nigerian Muslims believe that pills and condoms are part of a Western plot to stop Muslims from multiplying. And in poor, rural areas centuries of experience have taught people that having lots of children makes economic sense. They can be put to work in the fields, they will provide for their parents in old age and, given high rates of infant mortality, if you don’t have several you may end up with none.

So the government in Kaduna, a majority-Muslim state north of the capital, Abuja, does not encourage people to have fewer children. That would be politically toxic. But it does offer free contraception, and suggest that women might wish to pause between pregnancies. It also promotes girls’ education—something that has caused fertility rates to fall more or less everywhere it has been tried. As recently as 2008, women in Kaduna expected to have 6.3 babies each over a lifetime. By 2013 this had fallen to 4.1, well below the national average of 5.7 that year.

When Alheri Yusuf first heard about family planning from a relative, she hesitated. “I thought she didn’t want me to give my husband more children,” says the 33-year-old mother of four, as she waits for a contraceptive hormonal injection at a hospital in Kaduna. Then she realised that spacing her children would give her time to recover from childbirth.

No one knows how many Nigerians there are. The World Bank says there were 182m in 2015, but this estimate is based on the 2006 census, which was probably inflated (politicians typically exaggerate the count to grab more parliamentary seats and government money for their regions). Most observers agree, though, that Nigeria’s population is growing at a cracking 3% a year. Many Nigerians see this as a source of national pride and strength. But the economy ought to grow faster than the population, and last year it actually shrank, thanks to cheap oil.

To be prosperous as well as populous, Nigeria needs to educate its people better. This would also curb population growth, since well-schooled women tend to have fewer babies. In a sparse classroom in the city of Zaria, 15 adolescent girls swathed in white hijabs learn about reproduction, financial literacy and how to say no. The course is run by a local NGO and paid for by the UN Population Fund. The girls say they want fewer children than when they started the sessions in September, so that they can educate them well.

Most girls in the programme will finish secondary school and delay childbirth (previous cohorts wed an average of 2.5 years later than peers). In places where female literacy has improved, child marriage and maternal mortality have duly fallen.

Within Nigerian Islam, a debate rages between modernisers and obscurantists. The former may be winning. Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano and a senior Muslim leader, has spoken out against child marriage, and proposes a legal minimum age (there is currently none) of 18. Yusuf Ali, a cleric who joined a debate convened by the emir, married his first wife when she was 14 and he was 26. But Mr Ali, who has four wives and 38 children, now thinks girls should marry “above the age of 15”. He also favours family planning, so long as couples use withdrawal rather than modern contraception. He even agrees that girls should go to school.

This article appeared in the Middle East and Africa section of the print edition under the headline "Condoms v conservatives"

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#IFTTT #Feedly

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vegas-glitz · 4 years

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2011 Global Economic Outlook

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"The era of good feelings associated with the heyday of globalization has gone forever," say top economists. I will agree and believe this is an entirely good thing that will enable our shattered world to recover from a devastating global recession. Often times we mix up what feels good at the time with what is the right course of action over the long term. The great recession has taken its last breath but has taught us a great many valuable lessons during its pre-destiny and ultimate reign. The main lesson being that open competition is good. Once we start regulating how much we can achieve we start sabotaging our own continued growth and prosperity. Linking a global currency to a global government would have been a catastrophe. I'm glad that the wise and learned have taken this lesson out of the tragedies of the past 3 years.

Recovery will continue to be slow around the world, but we are in a state of recovery nonetheless. The biggest difference from days past will be which countries will lead the charge to mending our torn financial fabric. In this edition be prepared for some surprise trends and projections unlike many are foreseeing. I caution you however as you digest this information that you may think I'm totally off my rocker on some of my predictions, but recall, I was almost entirely correct about last year winners and losers. I will begin evaluating several countries and then streamline my analysis with industries to watch. Happy New Year and good health in 2011.

CONDITION OF THE US

US academics are projecting a 3.4% growth in the US this year. I will disagree. My mark for US growth in 2011 will top off at 1.5% but we are most likely to experience a 0.9% growth by year end December 31st 2011. The US is riding high after strong 2010 end of year retail figures rose by 3.1% over 2009 but it is overlooking that the expectation was at 3.4% and November figures were a full 2.1% higher than December. The trend should have been been reversed to justify complete optimism in a stronger growth pattern. Economic growth and sales will also continue to weaken as inventory cycles top out.

Meanwhile, households and banks are still fixing their balance sheets and will keep a wary eye on credit expansion further crippling any long-term sustained growth above 1.5%. Banks will loosen credit by the third quarter of 2012.

Further, the dark cloud of unemployment still looms heavy over the United States horizon. Consequently, corporate gains should peak in the first quarter and then level off as high unemployment and consumer confidence subside and take their toll on the momentum of profit increases by businesses. Indeed the unemployment rate in the US fell in December; However the 103,000 jobs that were created last month are well short of the 200,000 per month figure needed to sustain stronger growth and lasting improvements to an economic condition. Our average pace for job creation last year was 94,000 per month. Moreover, 8.4 million jobs were shed over the span of the last 3 years, but only 1.1 million were added in the private sector. Government expansion does not contribute to an economic recovery, neither has it done so historically nor will it do so in the future.

Though in fact, the government has itself cut 20,000 jobs last month. At December's employment pace, it will take until 2016 to make up for the jobs lost and finally establish a balance in the marketplace. As of today, 6.76 million Americans have stopped looking for work and in a recent survey say they will not look until the middle of next year. With those not receiving unemployment and those who have forgone the application thereof altogether our real national unemployment figure is closer to 10.8% as opposed to the public figure of 9.4%. Though, recovery in the US will be faster than 2016, I anticipate tolerable levels of employment by the end of 2012. However, we expect a 5.8% decrease in average salaries from $ 50,303 to $ 47,382 by this time.

CLASH WITH CHINA

Continued conflicts with China will further hinder US economic expansion. In addition to the gap between political ideologies the following factors will heighten the tensions between the two nations. First, the rise of China is becoming associated associated with job losses for ordinary Americans and a rising threat to American power. Second, China's currency policy which is aimed at keeping the Yuan undervalued against the dollar will further aggravate trade relations between the two nations and protectionist legislation in the US will rise sharply. The move to make the Yuan (renminbi) a global currency for international trade has already begun. It has launched trading of it in the US. Third, the Chinese military buildup in the Pacific has gotten the US business population and governing bodies on edge and up in arms. The J-20, a new Chinese stealth fighter has just debuted on the global stage. In response the US will step up military exercises in the region opening the doors to economic policies as the weapon of choice. Additionally, China's continued reluctance to tighten the squeeze on Iran while instead pursuing their own energy strategies will further harm relations with the US.

China's economy will see an 8.4% growth in GDP but look for hostilities between the Communist party and the rising tide of young intellectuals from within who disagree with the current order. The US will be blamed for this movement. China will engineer a slowdown in the Asian markets.

ASIA

Uzbekistan will lead Asia in economic growth this year with an 8.5% increase, followed by China then India with a GDP of 8.2% and we will see inflation in India begin to fall back to normal levels from last year 10% to about 6.4%. Afghanistan holds a commanding fourth place in Asia with my prediction of a 7.2% growth this year, followed by Sri Lanka at 6.6%, Indonesia at 6%, and Kazakhstan at 5.5%. Australia will be a safe place to put money as it is expected to achieve a 2.6% growth this year.

MIDDLE-EAST AND AFRICA

This region's predictions bear the most surprises of all. Ethiopia will carry the torch for the Mid-East and North Africa with a solid 10% GDP this year; it will be followed by Tanzania at 7.1%, Angola at 7%, Iraq with 6%; Lebanon with 5.8% despite the government collapse last week, and Syria with 4.6%. The Gulf States will remain solid hovering at an average 3%...GDP, but the greatest gains will be made with the countries mentioned hereto.

EUROPE

Europe is a battered child that will require a great deal of rehabilitation for the next five years. It will demonstrate the least impressive gains next to North America but leading the pack will be Russia with a 4% GDP improvement over last year. Ukraine will be firmly on Russia's heels with a 3.9% GDP, trailed by Turkey at 3.6%, Poland at 3.4%, Estonia with 3.2%, Latvia 3%, Lithuania with 2.9%. Greece will play the largest role in stifling the European economy as a whole with a negative growth of -3.5%, Portugal will play second anchor with a negative growth of -1%. Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland will stay fast with a GDP figure lingering between a 1% to 1.6% growth pattern.

LATIN AMERICA

Chile will champion the greatest growth in the Latin American economies, though smaller in size then Brazil will outpace it by 1.2% growth reaching 5.7% by year end. Brazil will experience the second greatest growth with 4.5%, followed by Colombia at 4.4%, but tied with Paraguay and Peru for second place. Colombia will grow at the same pace as Uruguay.

Mexico will expand its economy by 3.5% by the middle of the year but will soften in response to slower US growth to 3% by December 31st.

Overall global GDP growth will be a strong and promising 4%, while World trade growth will exceed 6% to 6.3%. We can attribute this to the rise in trade with emerging markets including India, North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and segments of Latin America.

INDUSTRY STRENGTH

Banking Western banks will continue to shed jobs amid tightened fiscal policies in these territories while China and Hong Kong are expected to boost their workforces in three quarters of their banks. Lending will remain slow with a net overall increase in lending of 1.3% in the US. Industry Strength - Weak

Real-estate The worst may be over for this sector but recovery to pre 2006 levels is still a good 3 years away. Commercial rents will fall across all categories in the US with industrial being the worst hit and retail sites the least hit. In some parts of Europe commercial property prices will fall another 15% and housing prices in the US will slip another 7%. Industry Strength - Weak

Travel and Tourism The travel industry will experience a 5% rise in international tourist travel, France will see the largest gain in visitors. Leisure travel is still expected to bounce back faster than business travel as I expect business travel rates will take at least another 3 years before returning to pre-2008 levels. Revenue per available room in the US will climb by at least 6.7% this year taking a commanding position ahead of any other country. Industry Strength - Good

Health Care Global health care spending as a share of GDP will increase to 9.9% though the US is expected to outlay nearly 16.2% of its GDP far outpacing the rest of the world as health care costs rise due to sweeping legislation passed last year.

Luxury Spending on luxury items will increase by 4%. Industry Strength - Good

Food and Farming Expect overall food prices to increase by 5% this year due to supply disruptions and health department regulations. Wheat prices will increase by approximately 8%. Sugar prices will drop by 10%, and coffee prices will decline by 5%. Good news for coffee lovers. Industry Strength - Mild

Entertainment Television and movie enterprises will experience a 5% and 7% increase in demand this year respectively while music and digital music outlets will expand by a mere.5%. Actors are more likely to find work in 2011 than musicians. Industry Strength - Mild

Information Technology Far and wide, IT is the most stable industry to enter into in 2011. Hardware purchases will slow to 7% from 10% but will remain strong for the duration of the year. Software services will increase by 4% while spending on IT will increase to 4.6% for a total industry capitalization of $ 2 trillion. Industry Strength - Strong

CONCLUSION

I've made some bold and perhaps at times controversial predictions above. This coming year will not be without its challenges, as with all years. In some instances over the course of 2011 some of us may experience anxieties about the uncertainties we will undoubtedly face as we try to make sense of all the "expert" predictions for the future. But we must remember that as leaders it is imperative that we listen to and consider all opinions, while remaining true to ourselves, our values, our beliefs and focusing on our business' core strengths. It has become incumbent upon us that we continue to move forward with realistic expectations until the tea leaves change and the dust from this calamitous crisis finally settles. As I embarked upon bringing all this information together for you it was my hope that I could at least present a practical foundation to stand upon as we spy out into the ever-changing world and scan the horizons for an indicator of what's to come.

War will break out in 2011, there is no question, but it will not be a war fought with conventional weapons or nuclear missiles. It will be a war of ideologies that will test the constitution of the greatest countries on the planet. It will test the resolve of every individual seeking to gain a fundamental understanding and clarity of what is to become of our world. The answer is not to dig our heels down into the ground and wait for another storm to come. The answer is to venture out into the unknown and siphon as much knowledge as we can from the resources around us to make an educated, realistic and commonsensical decision that will finally set the wheels of the global community right. None of us that has ever achieved greatness has done so while waiting on the porch for someone to come and tell them the coast is clear. For I venture to say that the coast will be whatever we make of it, it is after all our coast. But before we can make any decision, we must be armed with knowledge, information, patience and a firm resolve in order to succeed and weather any potential storms ahead.

Wishing you a blessed New Year for 2011. Good luck in forging your roads.

Source by RJ Wolfe

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ellymackay · 5 years

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Social Media Use By Teenagers And Lack Of Sleep

Social Media Use By Teenagers And Lack Of Sleep was initially published to www.ellymackay.com

There are so many things we worry about for our children. My high school age daughter just left for China on Wednesday for a live abroad program, and a thousand possibilities have run through my mind, most of them very positive, but a few caused me concern. One of them was social media use by teenagers and lack of sleep. I worry that her sleep may be impacted because of the time difference and her desire to stay connected with local friends in real-time. I know there are lots of things I can worry about, but as her dad and The Sleep Doctor, that was one of them!

As parents, we often worry that our children spend too much time on social media, New research indicates social media in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. The problem revolves around usage.

Researchers found that teenagers who check their social media account three or more times a day were more likely to experience psychological distress. Girls were more likely to feel this distress than boys.

The lead researcher on this study said that is was “biologically implausible for social media to negatively affect one gender and not the other.” This means that the psychological distress almost certainly comes from something related to social media and not from general social media use.

Loss of sleep, not enough exercise and cyber-bullying were suspected as the likely sources of this distress, although more research is needed to be certain.

I have previously written about how social media usage can disrupt sleep in teenagers and even adults. The most frequent users have nearly twice the risk of sleep disruptions and three times the risk of sleep disturbances that the least frequent users do. College students who check their social sites during the hours they would otherwise be sleeping suffer from cognitive impairment. There have also been previous links to anxiety and depression from heavy social media use.

My guide for social media and sleep balance is short, easy to use and effective.

Phones should be charged outside the bedroom where the buzzing and the light cannot affect sleep

Your kids should be done using social media at least one hour before bed. If forming this habit proves complicated, slowly wean your kids off social media in five-minute increments.

Instead of using electronic devices at night, try and get your kids to do some light reading or engage in other restful activities before bed.

Keep your kids’ phones somewhere out of reach, so they can’t look at them if they get up to go to the bathroom. Adults too should avoid checking their phones if they want better sleep or at minimum, use blue light blocking glasses

What Your Sleep Position Says About You

There are three kinds of people in this world: Those who sleep on their backs, those who sleep on their sides and those who sleep on their stomachs, according to an amusing survey.

The survey examined the sleeping habits and personalities of 2,000 Americans and the results were pretty fun and surprising.

Back Sleepers

Fell asleep the fastest, taking only 20 minutes on average

Sleep about 5.5 hours per night, getting the least amount of sleep

Most likely to be introverted

Most likely to be an early bird

Predisposition toward enjoying the TV program “Modern Family”

Most likely to talk in sleep, sleepwalk and have vivid dreams and nightmares

Side Sleepers

Are the slowest to fall asleep (about 24 minutes)

But sleeps the longest (almost 6 hours)

Most likely to be outgoing

Most likely to stay up late

Preference for the classic TV show “Friends”

Stomach Sleepers

The ‘middle child’ of sleepers

They take about 23 minutes to fall asleep

They sleep for about 5.7 hours a night

Most likely to be both a night owl and an early bird

Most likely to be an ambivert (a person who shows a balanced mix of introvert and extrovert traits)

Enjoys spooky and supernatural shows like the “Handmaid’s Tale,” “the Walking Dead” and “Stranger Things.”

The survey also covered the sleep habits of married couples. Did you know that 55% of married couples changed their sleep pattern once they began sleeping together regularly? Some expressed sleep-related frustration with their partner, usually due to snoring, tossing and turning or getting up in the middle of the night. Sound familiar? This might be one of the reasons that married people take about twenty-four minutes to fall asleep on average.

Despite these frustrations, there seems to be benefits to sleeping next to your spouse. Seventy-five percent of married respondents said they prefer sharing a bed with their significant other. Those who slept in the spoon position reported fewer frustrations when compared to those partners who slept facing away.

I’ve talked about sleep positions before. My attitude is that if you have a sleep preference, that’s the right one for you as long as you take any health issues into consideration. Even though I live in Los Angeles, I can’t criticize your choice of television shows though!

Say Cheese! You’re Being Diagnosed for Sleep Apnea

Can you imagine seeing your sleep doctor and them taking a 3D picture to determine whether or not you have obstructive sleep apnea? How cool would that be? Researchers in Australia have done it and even shown it to be 90% effective in diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea! The researchers published their findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Prior studies have looked at the structure of the face, neck and head as a means to determine a person’s risk of sleep apnea. The new 3D technology uses those craniofacial markers to predict that risk. Diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea with 3D photography would allow doctors to fast track at-risk patients for referrals and treatments. This is critical as sleep apnea is a serious condition and worsens many conditions including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and more. The easier, faster, and more cost effective it becomes to diagnose, the more people we can help.

Until the technology is widely available, we’ll still have to diagnose sleep apnea the “old-fashioned” way. Here are a few warning signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Snoring

Choking, Gasping During Sleep

Morning Headaches

Tired After Sleeping a Full Night

Dry or Sore Throat in Morning

Morning Anxiety

Waking Up with Pain in Muscles or Joints

Brain Fog

Forgetfulness

High Blood Pressure

Reduce Interest in Sex

If you experience any of these, especially snoring and choking or gasping for air during sleep, please see a sleep professional to find out if you have sleep apnea, it is easy to treat and can add years to your life while helping you feel and function better throughout the day.

The Truth About Eating Before Bedtime

Self did a rather fine article on the long-held belief that eating before bedtime can disrupt sleep. Just how long-held are these beliefs? Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843. That story has one of the best puns in all literature, and it is a pun about eating before going to bed. When Ebeneezer Scrooge first encounters Jacob Marley’s ghost he tells the ghost that he thinks that his late-night snack is the actual source of his troubles:

“You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!”

If Scrooge was prone to bouts of indigestion, then he wasn’t totally wrong to suspect his ghostly visitor is a byproduct of a late-night snack. Indigestion is less likely to cause someone to hallucinate the ghost of their deceased business partner and more likely to cause pain, bloating or nausea, but it was a very good attempt by Scrooge to rationalize the inexplicable.

Another problem late-night snackers may face is acid reflux. Some people have a valve in their esophagus that doesn’t close all the way. When they go to lie down for the night, stomach acid flows painfully back up, making it hard to sleep,

However, if you do not suffer from either of those conditions, there aren’t really any other drawbacks to enjoying a bedtime snack. Some people worry that if they eat later in the day, they are more likely to gain weight. While mice studies show that eating counter to their circadian rhythm caused weight gain, the human study data is insufficient evidence to conclusively say the same holds true for humans who eat a balanced diet within their caloric needs range

I think it is important to pay attention to what happens with your body if you eat late. If it works for you, go ahead and do it as long as it doesn’t aggravate any underlying health concerns or cause other negative issues.” That is to say that if you routinely enjoy a late-night snack and do not suffer from acid reflux or indigestion, you’re probably fine to continue with your nightly ritual. However, it is best to eat a light, low-fat snack and stay away from any foods that might upset your stomach like spicy bbq, hot sausages, jalapeno poppers and all alcohol.

Q: Should My Sheets Be Tucked into the Mattress or Should the Sheets Be Left Untucked? Will It Affect My Sleep?

Today’s question is ripped right from the headlines. Apparently, there was a debate on the Today Show about whether it was better to sleep with the sheets tucked under the bottom of the mattress or left untucked.

My answer to this age-old conundrum might surprise you: Like your choice of sleep position, you should do what you prefer and allows for a good night of sleep. Back sleepers, for example, may not prefer tightly tucked sheets at the bottom of the bed because it pulls their toes down which may be annoying or uncomfortable. Whether you enjoy the constrained feeling of a tucked-in sheet or the billowy freedom of one that loosely draped over the mattress, what really matters is that you are as comfortable as possible.

The two factors that are more important than the tucked or untucked state of your bedsheets are the fabrics that you sleep beneath and the temperature of where you are sleeping. I recommend natural fabrics like cotton, wool or flannel. They are all breathable and help you regulate your body temperature.

Cooler temperatures are preferable for sleep with the optimum temperature being 65 degrees fahrenheit (18 degrees celsius). It’s easy to turn your thermostat down and call it a night, but when we’re beneath our sheets and comforters, we’re going to be warmer than the air around us, warm enough sometimes to disrupt sleep.

I recommend the Chilipad to many of my patients. It’s a great way of regulating your body’s temperature and mattress’s temperature during the night. It’s also adjustable for individuals, so if your partner likes it cold and you need it warmer, then the Chilipad can be programmed to accommodate both sleepers, possibly saving marriages in the process.

Sweet Dreams, Dr Michael Breus

The post Social Media Use By Teenagers And Lack Of Sleep appeared first on Your Guide to Better Sleep.

from Your Guide to Better Sleep https://thesleepdoctor.com/2019/09/01/social-media-teenagers-lack-of-sleep/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2019/09/01/social-media-use-by-teenagers-and-lack-of-sleep/

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